AbstractThe compact superconducting synchrotron radiation source AURORA is being developed for industrial use, especially for x‐ray lighography. This source can also be used for research purposes. A prototype machine has been constructed to demonstrate the performance and to study various applications. Acceleration and storage of electrons in the ring was recently achieved. A storage current of 20 mA at 650 MeV energy is attained and the beam lifetime is more than 20 h. The half‐integral resonance injection method has been proved to work well. Further improvements are being studied, including that of the performance of the injec