Albuquerque and some nuke history

Sunday, October 27 and Monday, October 28
We left Aztec in some brisk winds but nice and sunny. Hwy 550 is nearly a direct route to Albuquerque. We turned onto I 25 then East on I 40 toward the small community of Tijeras were our RV park is located.

Hwy 550 south from Aztec, NM

Interesting colors.

Rio Grande is not that grand here.

Busy I 40 on a Sunday afternoon.

Our home for a week.

Monday I wanted to go to the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History. When I looked outside this morning we had a nice dusting of snow. Thankfully that was all we got so mid-morning I headed into the city to the Museum.

This is a very interesting museum. It covers atomic bombs of course and how they shaped history but also how nuclear medicine, power generation and future uses help mankind. 

It turns out that Germany and Japan were both working toward a nuclear weapon at the same time as the US.

Scientists from many countries worked on the Manhattan Project which is the development of the first atomic bomb.

They covered the development of the B-52 and it's role in carrying atomic bombs. It was first used in the late 1950's and they expect to use it until 2040 or beyond.

The refueling plane the KC-135 extends the range of the B-52 to round the world capability.

The B-52 has had a few accidents while loaded with nuclear weapons. These two fell from the sky over Spain when a B-52 and KC-135 collided mid-air. The bombs didn't explode and no radiation leaked.

Back to WW II, the B-29 Superfortress was the plane of choice (the only one capable) to deliver the first two atomic bombs to target.

Model of the B-29

The Trinity site in New Mexico was the location of the first test of a nuclear weapon.

Life size mockup of Little Boy

Life size mockup of Fat Man

Mockup of Gadget. Tested at the Trinity Site.

Mockup of a Trident  inter-continental nuclear missile that would launch from a submarine.

Multi-stages of the Trident.

The payload (bomb) would be in the nose cone.

Interesting array of safety and control boxes. Proper codes would need to be entered to make the bomb 'hot'.

Outside they had a variety of planes and missiles and guns that would have been used to deliver a nuclear payload.

Titan ICBM missile

 

Undercarriage of the B-52

Tail of the B-52

B-29

Fatman beside the B-29.

The Trinity Site tower with Gadget suspended.

Many household products are mildly radioactive by the nature of the components in them.

Advanced medical testing equipment use radioactive elements.

Waste placed in barrels

Waste safely stashed in storage containers.

All that nuclear waste has to go somewhere. There is a test site in the far southeast of New Mexico in an ancient salt band 2500 feet underground.

Accidents do happen.

Next generation power plants are on the drawing board. More efficient and safer than current plants.

Even ships were nuclear powered, and not just Navy ships.

A bit of atomic humor!

They had the periodic table of elements in the tile floor. Very cool.

The clouds still hanging over the Sandia Peak. Blue sky everywhere else.

A quick stop for a few groceries and fuel and then home.

....and that was Our View From Here!