‘Tickling the Dragon’s Tale’: U.S. To Prepare for Underground Testing of Nuclear Weapons Without Any Explosions
The scientists in charge of making sure nuclear weapons in the U.S. stockpile are still functioning are set to start moving key components to the desert in Nevada in November to prepare for underground testing.
Those at national defense laboratories have not been able to confirm the effectiveness and reliability of nuclear warheads since 1992, when an underground test ban was instituted. However, the Associated Press reported that Energy Department officials announced on Thursday that they have figured out the next best thing, which has been referred to as “tickling the dragon’s tale.”
The $1.8 billion Scorpius project could move beyond the theoretical computing model to research, in detail, what goes into a nuclear implosion without carrying out a nuclear explosion. The report noted that this strategy could be put in place as early as 2027, according to Jon Custer, head of the Sandia project.
Custer noted that the reason why this strategy is referred to as “tickling the dragon’s tail” is because the experiment approaches but remains below the phase at which nuclear materials ignite a series of chain reactions, according to the report. The question scientists are trying to answer is whether U.S. nuclear weapons are still operative. (Read more from “‘Tickling the Dragon’s Tale’: U.S. To Prepare for Underground Testing of Nuclear Weapons Without Any Explosions” HERE)
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