.... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... ....
In this historic photo, military personnel are seen moving “Jumbo” to Trinity Site. One of the concerns of the scientists who built the “Gadget” nuclear device that was detonated at Trinity Site in 1945, was that the bomb might not actually go off. In order to preserve the 13 pounds of plutonium in case of failed detonation, an 80 ton steel vessel named “Jumbo” was built with the intention of imploding the device inside. The $12 million vessel was never used for that purpose because by the time the test was nearly ready, scientists were confident that it would work. Instead, “Jumbo” was suspended on a steel tower 800 meters from ground zero. The tower was completely destroyed in the explosion, but “Jumbo” remained very much intact. Later, the military tried to destroy it using eight 500 pound bombs, but only succeeded in blowing the ends off of it. What remains can still be
By New Mexico Museum of Space History
• 4 hours ago
Credit Trinity test marker Reservations for the October Trinity Site motor coach tour, hosted by the New Mexico Museum of Space History and International Space Hall of Fame Foundation, are now being taken through the museum’s website. The tour, which is pending current Department of Health restrictions due to the pandemic, is scheduled for Saturday, October 2, 2021. Trinity Site is where the world’s first atomic bomb was detonated in 1945.
White Sands Missile Range typically opens Trinity Site to the public on the first Saturdays in April and October, although both events in 2020 and the April 2021 tour were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Several thousand people usually visit the site on those dates.
By News Editor And Partners
• Mar 9, 2021 The New Mexico Museum of Space History will remain closed at least until early to mid-May due to unexpected complications during renovations to the museum’s restrooms.
In the museum’s first floor restrooms, contractors discovered that the concrete had eroded, and the cast iron piping both underground and throughout the walls had multiple leaks and blockages. Work continues on this project, which is expected to be completed by mid to late June.
Renovations to the restrooms on the museum’s second and fourth floors, however, are expected to be finished by early May. Hand sanitizing stations have also been installed throughout the building.