Test Area North

USA / Idaho / Mud Lake /
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Test Area North, part of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, was used for research and development of the US Government's nuclear-powered aircraft program between 1955 and 1961. Several working reactors were developed, and a prototype aircraft actually flew (elsewhere) while carring one, but no aircraft ever flew using nuclear propulsion, and no aircraft ever took off from Test Area North. (There is a very large hanger here, but no runway!)

www.airfields-freeman.com/ID/Airfields_ID_N.htm

Test Area North has been involved with a variety of other projects involving nuclear power, all of which are now completed or inactive.

www.id.doe.gov/InsideNEID/PDF/tan-fsheet.pdf

This entire site is scheduled for demolition and hazardous-waste cleanup by 2008-2011.

idahocleanupproject.inel.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=74
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_aircraft
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   43°51'26"N   112°44'11"W
This article was last modified 18 years ago