The National Nuclear Security Administration has concluded a subcritical experiment in the Principal Underground Laboratory for Subcritical Experimentation facility at the Nevada National Security Site to obtain information to support the safety and reliability of U.S. nuclear weapons.
The experiment is the first in the Nimble series being carried out in partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, with support from the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Department of Energy said Thursday.
Results from the experiment will be used to enhance DOE’s modeling and simulation capability as part of NNSA’s Stockpile Stewardship Program aimed at ensuring the safety, reliability and effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile.
“As NNSA Administrator Hruby announced in June 2023, we plan to increase the frequency of these subcritical experiments so we can continue to gather important data on nuclear weapons materials, with no technical need for a return to underground nuclear explosive testing,” said Marvin Adams, deputy administrator for defense programs at NNSA.
