What is happening at the Nevada Test Site?
The Nevada Test Site is home to classified research. As such, one can’t be sure of all that is going on there. Nonetheless, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) maintains a website that describes research and facilities at the NTS. Much of the currently listed activities Capabilities specific to the Nevada Test Site include: Atlas, the Big Explosives Experimental Facility (BEEF), the Device Assembly Facility (DAF), the Joint Actinide Shock Physics Experimental Research (JASPER) Facility, and the U1a Complex for subcritical nuclear tests. The last subcritical nuclear explosion was in 2006. According to the Nevada Site Office of the DOE-NNSA, they hope to conduct three new sub-crit tests by the end of 2009. The Atlas pulsed-power program is in “cold standby” meaning that the building with the machinery has no electricity. At this time there are no plans to restart Atlas experiments. BEEF has “limited activity” according the the Nevada Site O
