Nevada Test Site

This is a large area in the desert.

Long ago, people used it for many tests. They used special tools that made big explosions.

These tests made huge clouds in the sky. People could see them from far away. The tests also left deep holes in the ground.

Many people came to the site to protest. They wanted the tests to stop. Today, the site is used for science work. It is a very important place to study.

The Nevada National Security Site is a large area in the desert.

It is located in Nye County, Nevada. From 1951 to 1992, the United States used this land for nuclear tests.

Some tests happened in the air. These made big mushroom clouds. People in Las Vegas could see them from far away.

Most tests happened underground. These tests were done to study how things work.

Scientists even built houses and cars near the test spots. They wanted to see how the blast would affect them. One big test called "Sedan" made a huge hole in the ground.

This hole is called a crater. It is 1,280 feet wide.

Many people protested at the site. They wanted the testing to stop. Over 37,000 people joined these protests. Today, the site is used for research. Scientists do subcritical tests there. These are tests that do not involve a critical mass.

This helps them learn about nuclear science safely.

The Nevada National Security Sites is a large area in the desert.

It sits in Nye County, Nevada, near the city of Las Vegas. For many years, this land was used for testing nuclear devices. This work was done to help the United States understand nuclear science. The site is now managed by the Department of Energy. It is a very large place with desert and mountains.

There are about 1,100 buildings across 28 different areas. These areas are connected by many paved and unpaved roads. The site also has ten heliports and two airstrips.

Testing happened in different ways to study various effects. Some tests were atmospheric, which means they happened in the air.

These tests created huge mushroom clouds in the sky. In the early 1950s, people in Las Vegas could see them from far away. Other tests were done underground to keep things contained. These explosions could be as deep as 5,000 feet.

An underground blast vaporizes a chamber in the earth. This leaves a large cavity filled with radioactive rubble. One famous test called "Sedan" created a massive crater. This hole is 1,280 feet wide and 320 feet deep.

History shows how the site grew over many decades. President Harry S. Truman established the area in 1950. The first test at Frenchman Flat happened on January 27, 1951. Between 1951 and 1992, the site held many announced tests. Records show there were about 928 announced nuclear tests. Some of these were actually multiple detonations happening at once. This brought the total number of detonations to 1,021. The last atmospheric test was called "Little Feller I" in 1962. Underground testing finally ended on September 23, 1992.

Scientists used the site to learn how blasts affect objects.

They built houses, cars, and even shelters near the blast zones. They used mannequins to see how shock waves affect clothing. High-speed cameras captured how paint boiled off buildings during a blast. This research helped create civil defense guidelines for the public. However, the tests also had environmental impacts. Some tests were done near water sources called aquifers. This caused radioactivity to enter the groundwater in some areas.

Many people felt strongly about the testing at this site.

There were 536 organized protests involving over 37,000 people. Some protesters even entered the site to try and stop the tests. These groups wanted the testing to end for safety reasons. Today, the site is used for different kinds of research. Scientists perform subcritical tests, which do not use a critical mass.

This work is done by several national laboratories. The site even offers public tours for visitors to learn more.

The Nevada National Security Sites (N2S2), formerly called the Nevada Test Site (NTS), is a massive federal reservation. It is located in Nye County, Nevada, northwest of Las Vegas.

The site serves as a critical location for nuclear science and research. It is managed by the Department of Energy through the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Today, the site is operated by Mission Support and Test Services LLC. This company is a joint venture between Honeywell, Jacobs, and Huntington Ingalls. The area consists of diverse desert and mountainous terrain.

Testing at the site involved two primary methods: atmospheric and underground. Atmospheric tests occurred in the air and created massive mushroom clouds.

These clouds were so large they were visible from the Las Vegas Strip in the 1950s. The last atmospheric test, named "Little Feller I," took place on July 17, 1962. Most other tests were conducted underground to contain the effects. These explosions could occur as deep as 5,000 feet below the surface. An underground blast vaporizes a large chamber in the earth. This process leaves behind a cavity filled with radioactive rubble.

Scientists used the site to study how nuclear detonations affect various structures. They built many different types of buildings, including homes and commercial structures. They even built military fortifications used by NATO and the Warsaw Pact. Researchers placed vehicles, such as cars and aircraft, at measured distances from "ground zero." Ground zero is the spot on the surface directly above or below the blast center. To study the effect of shock waves on people, they used mannequins. These mannequins helped scientists test the effects of radiation and physical shock on clothing. High-speed cameras captured iconic footage of these events. These cameras showed paint boiling off buildings before the shock wave pushed it away. This research helped create civil defense guidelines to help the public survive a nuclear attack.

The history of the site began when President Harry S. Truman established the area on December 18, 1950. It was originally part of the Nellis Air Force Gunnery and Bombing Range. The first test occurred at Frenchman Flat on January 27, 1951. Between 1951 and 1992, the site was the primary location for American nuclear testing. Records show 928 announced nuclear tests were conducted there. However, 62 of the underground tests included multiple, simultaneous detonations. This brought the total number of detonations to 1,021. The United States ended underground nuclear testing on September 23, 1992.

One notable event was the "Sedan" shot during Operation Storax on July 6, 1962. This test was part of Operation Plowshare, which investigated using nuclear weapons for peaceful purposes. The goal was to see if they could create new bays or canals. The Sedan shot created a massive crater. It was 1,280 feet wide and 320 feet deep.

The site also holds many other subsidence craters from various tests. These craters serve as physical evidence of the immense energy released during the detonations.

The testing had significant environmental and social impacts. Atmospheric tests released fallout that westerly winds carried to Utah and other areas. A 1984 medical report noted that this increased cancer rates. Underground tests also affected the environment by interacting with aquifers. About one-third of the tests were conducted directly in these water sources. In some zones, radioactivity in the groundwater reaches millions of picocuries per liter. This is much higher than the federal drinking water standard of 20 picocuries per liter. Because the contaminated water poses no immediate health threat, the Department of Energy has ranked the site as a low priority for clean-up.

The site has also been a center for intense political protest. Between 1986 and 1994, there were 536 organized demonstrations. These protests involved 37,488 participants and resulted in 15,740 arrests.

In 1988, a "Reclaim the Test Site" event saw nearly 3,000 arrests in a single ten-day period. Protesters, including the Western Shoshone Tribe, demanded an end to testing and the return of the land. Today, the site is used for modern research, such as subcritical tests. These tests do not involve a critical mass and are conducted by national laboratories. The site even offers monthly public tours for visitors.