IN THIS ISSUE

Introduction

• Welcome to this Issue of National Security Science
  This issue provides both intriguing questions and some surprising answers, says Bob Webster, Principal Associate Director, Weapons Programs.

Articles

• Nevada National Security Site Celebrates 65 Years
  The history of this 1,375 square-mile patch of desert is even more dynamic than 928 nuclear tests going “boom!”
• Nuclear Test Readiness
  As required by law, does the nation maintain its ability to test nuclear weapons? John C. Hopkins, former head of the Los Alamos Nuclear Test division, contemplates the challenges of reviving—and possibly relocating—America’s nuclear testing program.
• Do Subcritical Experiments Help?
  In the absence of nuclear testing, subcritical tests are currently the only way to obtain some of the data needed to assess the health of the aging weapons in the U.S. nuclear stockpile—but how well do subcritical tests replace full-scale nuclear testing?
• Why The Nuclear Triad?
  Does the United States really need a diverse combination of weapons systems to ensure the security of the United States and its allies?
• Smells Like Alert
  Missileers are highly trained members of the United States Air Force who must be ready, willing, and able to launch nuclear-warhead-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) during their 24-hour alerts. No pressure.
• The Minuteman Takes Flight
  How does flight-testing an ICBM contribute to U.S. nuclear deterrence?
• The W78 Lives On
  How does a Joint Test Assembly flight test evaluate the Minuteman III’s aging warhead?
• The Dragon Is Alive
  The five-person crew of a B-52 Stratofortress is responsible for flying the 55-year old “dragon” for 24 hours at a time above some of the world’s most dangerous countries at 650 miles per hour—without navigation displays, modern computers, or a flushing toilet. And they like it.
• Stratofortress Statistics: Anatomy of a B-52
  Introduced in 1954, the B-52 Statofortress is the backbone of the U.S. strategic bomber force. With proper maintenance and upgrades, the B-52 is expected to remain in service until 2040.
• B61 Life Extension Program Advances
  More than a half-century after its creation, the nation’s oldest nuclear warhead is one step closer to a new life.
• Fixing Fukushima
  What happened to the nuclear fuel at Fukushima? To find out, Los Alamos scientists have created a new type of penetrating “vision” that can detect nuclear materials, such as uranium and plutonium, and probably the melted fuel rods inside the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
• What Is Muon Vision?
  Los Alamos’s unique muon vision measures muon scattering and “sees” materials otherwise hidden from view.
• Muon Vision for U.S. National Security
  Want to know what’s inside that shipping container? From detecting nuclear contraband to counting the number of warheads inside a missile, muon vision offers promising solutions for keeping America safe.
• Ask Me Anything
  Eight explosives scientists took to the interwebs to field questions from the public about their careers, the Lab, and living in Los Alamos.
• Secret City App Now Available
  Experience the Laboratory that produced the atomic bomb.