928 Nuclear Devices Were Detonated Just 65 Miles From Las Vegas In This Testing Site

The Nevada Test Site

The Nevada Test Site spans 1,360 square miles of desert where the military once exploded nuclear weapons like it was the Fourth of July.

For decades, atomic blasts lit up the sky while people in Vegas threw “dawn parties” to watch the show.

Here’s what happened during that time.

America’s First Continental Nuclear Test

The Atomic Energy Commission, created in 1947, first conducted nuclear tests in the Pacific Ocean. These remote island explosions proved costly and hard to manage.

After the Soviet Union tested its first atomic bomb in 1949, code-named RDS-1, the United States sped up plans for a mainland test site.

A three-year search called Project Nutmeg, started by the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project, looked at potential spots across America.

Officials picked the Nevada site for its remoteness, existing military setup, and few residents.

The Era of Atmospheric Testing

Between 1951 and 1962, scientists conducted 100 atmospheric nuclear tests at the Nevada site.

These explosions sent up massive mushroom clouds visible from nearly 100 miles away, becoming strange tourist attractions that could be seen from Las Vegas hotels.

The tests used various methods. Some bombs dropped from aircraft while others blew up atop tall towers or hung from balloons.

On May 19, 1953, the “Harry” shot released huge amounts of radioactive fallout, earning the nickname “Dirty Harry.”

Operation Teapot in 1955 featured “Apple-2,” which used a mock American community nicknamed “Doom Town.” This fake neighborhood had furnished houses with mannequins to study blast effects on civilian buildings.

The “John” shot of Operation Plumbbob on July 19, 1957, tested the first nuclear-tipped AIR-2 Genie air-to-air rocket, made to destroy enemy bombers with a nuclear blast.

America’s final atmospheric test, “Little Feller I” of Operation Sunbeam, happened on July 17, 1962.

From Surface to Underground Testing

On September 19, 1957, the United States conducted “Rainier,” the first fully contained underground nuclear blast. This 1.7-kiloton device measured 25.7 inches in diameter and 17.4 inches in length, weighing just 218 pounds.

Unlike atmospheric tests, Rainier made no visible mushroom cloud or measurable fallout, showing that testing could be done out of sight.

Not all underground tests stayed contained. On December 18, 1970, the “Baneberry” test accidentally leaked radioactive material that shot 10,000 feet into the atmosphere.

The Limited Test Ban Treaty, signed on August 5, 1963, banned nuclear tests in the air, underwater, and space, moving all American testing underground.

Nuclear Weapons for Peace

Operation Plowshare began in June 1957, exploring civilian uses for nuclear explosions.

The program’s name came from the Bible verse where swords would be beaten into plowshares, symbolizing weapons changed for peaceful purposes.

Scientists suggested using controlled nuclear blasts to create harbors, canals, highway cuts through mountains, and open-pit mines.

They believed these nuclear excavations would save time and money compared to standard methods.

Between 1957 and 1973, the United States conducted 27 nuclear tests under Plowshare. These experiments looked at ways nuclear explosions might extract natural gas, create water reservoirs, and move massive amounts of earth.

Growing environmental concerns and public opposition finally ended the program in the mid-1970s when scientists confirmed the problems of managing radioactive contamination from such projects.

The Sedan Crater

The most ambitious Operation Plowshare experiment took place on July 6, 1962. The Sedan test used a 104-kiloton thermonuclear device placed 194 meters underground in desert soil.

When it detonated, the explosion created a dome of earth rising 90 meters (300 feet) above the desert floor.

Three seconds after ignition, this dome burst outward, throwing millions of tons of soil into the air.

The resulting Sedan Crater measures 1,280 feet wide and 320 feet deep, making it America’s largest man-made crater from a nuclear explosion.

Radioactive fallout from this single test traveled surprisingly far, affecting eight counties in Iowa and other counties in Nebraska, South Dakota, and Illinois.

Today, Sedan Crater stands as a monument to nuclear testing, earning a spot on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.

The End of Nuclear Testing in America

Underground nuclear testing continued at the Nevada site for three decades after the atmospheric test ban.

The final test, code-named “Divider,” happened on September 23, 1992.

President George H.W. Bush then announced a one-sided halt on nuclear testing, effectively ending the era of full-scale nuclear explosions in America.

The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, signed by President Bill Clinton in 1996, created international bans against all nuclear explosions.

Environmental Impact and Contamination

In 1992, the Department of Energy estimated over 300 megacuries of radioactivity remained in the environment, making the Nevada Test Site one of America’s most contaminated places.

A 1962 United States Atomic Energy Commission report revealed children in St. George, Utah, may have received thyroid radiation doses as high as 120 to 440 rads from Nevada testing, far exceeding safe levels.

Downwinders

Communities east of the Nevada Test Site received significant radioactive fallout, where winds carried radioactive particles to towns in Nevada, Utah, and Arizona.

People living in these downwind communities reported major increases in cancers from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, including leukemia, lymphoma, thyroid cancer, breast cancer, and melanoma.

The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act of 1990 acknowledged government responsibility. This law provided $50,000 in compensation to each qualifying downwinder diagnosed with certain cancers or other specified diseases.

Only downwinders from specific counties in Nevada, Utah, and Arizona qualified for this compensation.

Public Protests and Opposition

As public awareness of radiation dangers grew, the Nevada Test Site became a focus for anti-nuclear activism. Government records show 536 publicized protests at the facility.

On February 5, 1987, a major demonstration led to 438 arrests, including famous figures like astronomer Carl Sagan and actors Martin Sheen and Kris Kristofferson.

Five Democratic members of Congress attended this rally: Thomas J. Downey, Mike Lowry, Jim Bates, Leon E. Panetta, and Barbara Boxer.

The American Peace Test organization in March 1988 also staged the largest civil disobedience action at the site. This protest set a record with more than 1,200 arrests in a single day.

Later, on October 12, 1992, an 11-day protest brought over 2,000 demonstrators from 12 different countries to the Nevada desert.

Many protests happened at the invitation of the Western Shoshone Tribe, who claimed the land under the 1863 Treaty of Ruby Valley.

These protesters demanded an end to nuclear testing and the return of the land to the Western Shoshone people.

The Nevada National Security Site Today

In 2010, officials renamed the facility the Nevada National Security Site.

Today, the site contains 1,100 buildings spread across 28 designated areas, connected by 400 miles of paved roads. This infrastructure supports multiple national security programs.

The site also serves as a disposal facility for radioactive materials. In 2022, the government acknowledged shipping 13,625 cubic meters of radioactive waste to the site.

Visiting the Nevada Test Site

Monthly public tours allow visitors to explore the Nevada National Security Site.

The Department of Energy organizes these popular trips, which regularly attract over 10,000 people annually to view Sedan Crater alone.

Visitors must register well in advance and provide identification for security clearance. Security remains tight, with photography, recording devices, and binoculars prohibited on site.

For those unable to visit the actual testing grounds, the National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas is a great alternative.

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