×

News

Nuclear test performed by U.S. on May 15

by Michiko Tanaka, Staff Writer

Concerning the news that the United States had conducted a nuclear test between April and June of this year, it was learned on August 21 that the date of the test was May 15. This test, purportedly to verify the effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear arsenal, was carried out by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), an agency under the U.S. Department of Energy. Responding to an inquiry from the Chugoku Shimbun, the NNSA disclosed the date of the test.

By August 20, the NNSA had made public, on its official website, the number of the test and the rough time frame in which it was held, but did not provide the exact date.

During the test, a “new-type” experiment conducted at the Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico, a special device called a “Z machine” was used to generate powerful X-rays in order to create conditions similar to a nuclear explosion, and the reaction of the plutonium was studied.

According to an NNSA official, the amount of plutonium used in the test did not exceed eight grams. The NNSA views this test as part of a series of experiments using the Z machine. Stressing its merits, the official said that the safety, reliability, and effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear arsenal can be assessed through the data gained from the test.

(Originally published on August 22, 2013)

Archives