Nevada Test Site
| Nevada National Security Sites | |
|---|---|
Nevada Test Site | |
| Nye County in Nevada Near Las Vegas, Nevada in United States | |
A November 1951 nuclear test at Nevada Test Site, Operation Buster–Jangle "Dog". It had a yield of 21 kilotons of TNT (88 TJ), and was the first U.S. nuclear field exercise conducted with live troops maneuvering on land. Troops shown are 6 mi (10 km) from the blast. | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Nuclear Weapons Research Complex |
| Owner | Government of the United States |
| Operator | United States Department of Energy |
| Controlled by | National Nuclear Security Administration |
| Open to the public | Yes (Limited reservation and clearance is required) |
| Status | Active |
| Defining authority | United States Geological Survey (For geography, ground waters, terrains and mapping) |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 37°07′N 116°03′W / 37.117°N 116.050°W |
| Area | 1,350 sq mi (3,500 km2) |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1951 |
| In use | 1951–Present |
| Test information | |
| Nuclear tests | 928 |
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The Nevada National Security Sites (N2S2 or NNSS), popularized as the Nevada Test Site (NTS) until 2010, is a reservation of the United States Department of Energy located in the southeastern portion of Nye County, Nevada, about 65 mi (105 km) northwest of the city of Las Vegas.
Formerly known as the Nevada Proving Grounds of the United States Army, the site was acquired in 1951 to be the testing venue for the American nuclear devices. The first atmospheric test was conducted at the site's Frenchman Flat area by the United States Atomic Energy Commission (USAEC) on January 27, 1951. About 928 nuclear tests were conducted here through 1994, when the United States stopped its underground nuclear testing.
The site consists of about 1,350 sq mi (3,500 km2) of desert and mountainous terrain. Some 1,100 buildings in 28 areas are connected by 400 mi (640 km) of paved roads, 300 mi (480 km) of unpaved roads, ten heliports, and two airstrips. The site is privately managed and operated by Mission Support and Test Services LLC, a joint venture of Honeywell, Jacobs, and Huntington Ingalls, on behalf of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).
The mushroom clouds from the 100 atmospheric tests were visible from almost 100 mi (160 km) away; they could be seen from the Las Vegas Strip in the early 1950s. Many iconic images at nuclear science museums throughout the United States come from the site. Las Vegas experienced noticeable seismic effects. Westerly winds routinely carried the fallout from atmospheric nuclear tests, increasing cancer in Utah and elsewhere, according to a 1984 medical report.
The site has hosted 536 publicized and organized anti-nuclear protests, with 37,488 participants and 15,740 involved in arrests, according to government records.