Project 56
|
Nuclear test Project 56
|
|
|---|---|
| nation |
 United States
|
| Test location | Nevada Test Site |
| Period | 1955-1956 |
| Number of tests | 4th |
| navigation | |
| Previous test | Operation wigwam |
| Next test | Operation Redwing |
Project 56 was the twelfth series of American nuclear weapons tests conducted at the Nevada Test Site between late 1955 and early 1956 . A total of four nuclear weapons tests took place. The aim of the operation was to test the resilience of the warheads of nuclear weapons in the event of an accident or fire.
The tests contaminated an area of approximately 362 ha with fine plutonium dust . Since then, Area 11 has been called "Plutonium Valley".
The individual tests of the Project 56 series
| Test name | Date / Time ( GMT / UTC + 0h ) | Proving Ground | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project 56 No. 1 | November 1, 1955 10:10 p.m. |
Area 11a | |
| Project 56 No. 2 | November 3, 1955 9:15 pm |
Area 11b | Plutonium released |
| Project 56 No. 3 | November 5, 1955 7:55 pm |
Area 11c | Plutonium released |
| Project 56 No. 4th | January 18, 1956 9:30 p.m. |
Area 11d | Plutonium released |
Individual evidence
- ^ Operation Wigwam and Project 56. The Nuclear Weapon Archive, October 17, 1997, accessed July 3, 2012 .
- ^ Plutonium Dispersal Tests at the Nevada Test Site (DOE / NV-1046). (PDF, 819 KB) (No longer available online.) National Nuclear Security Administration, April 2010, p. 2 , archived from the original on September 27, 2011 ; Retrieved July 3, 2012 .
Coordinates: 39 ° 56 ' N , 115 ° 54' W