Dec 23 AM at Atomic Energy Testing Museum

In the morning we went to the Atomic Energy Testing Museum which is about a half mile east of the Las Vegas Blvd strip. 

There certainly was a lot to see.

One of the exhibits is a multipurpose bomb missile (first image).  This was perhaps an under appreciated achievement. The bomb housing missile could accommodate several types of nuclear and several types of thermonuclear devices. 

Panda is on the missile partly for scale (he is about 4" tall).  Panda also has an entry in the Stuffed Animal Blog on this general issue.


Another missile was used as part of a nuclear air to air missile (second image).  

When I first read that I thought it couldn't possibly be correct since planes can be brought down pretty quickly with missiles that don't even carry conventional explosives. However, the US did actually produce a nuclear air to air missile in the 50s. It was deployed sometime in the 60s and into the early 1980s.  The theory behind the need for such a missile was that the Soviet strategic bomber the Tupelov 4 might be hardened sufficiently to withstand a conventional missile or else was able to shoot down US fighter aircraft that got close enough to fire conventional weapons. The theory was determined to be false based on data from experiments, from close observation of the TU-4 and from info from Soviet defectors.


There was, apparently, little nuclear energy testing related art work. However, one painting (the third image) is held by the museum and was displayed the day we were there.  The painting is called, "Nevada Test Site Tower at Sunset" and it is by Dale Cox. Panda doesn't seem impressed.



The scientific testing infrastructure that was built up over decades has been less used since the nuclear testing program was effectively ended in the mid 1990s.  





However, a remnant of the infrastructure is used for testing related to elements of the counter terrorism program and for training first responders and other related purposes.  The fourth image shows a piece of steel I-beam from the south tower of the former World Trade Center.
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