National Atomic Museum
Encyclopedia
The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History (formerly named National Atomic Museum) is a national repository of nuclear science information chartered by the 102nd United States Congress
under Public Law 102-190, and located in Albuquerque, New Mexico
. "The mission of the National Atomic Museum is to serve as America's resource for nuclear history and science. The Museum presents exhibits and quality educational programs that convey the diversity of individuals and events that shape the historical and technical context of the nuclear age."
in an old 90 mm anti-aircraft gun repair facility, and named "Sandia Atomic Museum". It was the result of a six-year effort to establish a museum to tell the story of the base and the development of nuclear weapons, and was staffed by United States Air Force
(USAF) personnel with help from Sandia National Laboratories
(SNL). In 1973, the Museum name changed to "National Atomic Museum", but it did not yet have a national charter.
In 1985, the United States Department of Energy
(DOE) became responsible for the Museum, and the staff became DOE employees. In 1991 the Museum received its charter as a national museum and its mission expanded to include aspects of nuclear science and history beyond the manufacturing of nuclear weapons. The Museum also became affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution
. In 1992 the National Atomic Museum Foundation (NAMF) was created to act as a supporting organization for the Museum and reduce the financial burden on taxpayers.
DOE transferred Museum operation to SNL in 1995, and Museum staff became SNL employees.
After the terror attacks in September 2001, increased security restricted public access to the Museum's on-base site and forced relocation to a former REI store in Old Town Albuquerque
's museum district. In 2005, SNL transferred operational responsibility to NAMF. SNL employees working as museum staff moved to other positions within Sandia. The Museum hired new staff who became employees of NAMF.
When the Museum relocated to Albuquerque's museum district, the site had inadequate space for outdoor exhibits. In January 2005, NAMF asked DOE/NNSA (National Nuclear Security Administration
) for 12 acres (4.9 ha) of land at the intersection of Eubank and Southern Boulevards in southeast Albuquerque for construction of a new museum. In October 2006 a formal Land Use Agreement was signed with SNL as Grantor and NAMF as Grantee. Ground was broken and construction was begun. Museum staff documented its construction project via a blog and a Flickr gallery where photos were posted weekly to show the building's progress.
The new Museum opened on April 4, 2009 in its new location under the new name National Museum of Nuclear Science & History.
Funding for construction came from multiple sources, including:
The new facility incorporates 13 permanent indoor exhibit areas, two classrooms, a theater, library and conference room, a gallery for temporary exhibits, and the Museum's store in 30,000 sq ft (0.28 ha). of space. The site provides 9 acres (3.6 ha) of outdoor space for exhibits of military aircraft, missiles, vehicles, and the sail of the nuclear submarine.
Museum operating costs of approximately $1M annually are provided by NAMF, and received from three primary sources: Lockheed Martin
($500K), SNL ($250K), and Museum revenues ($250K) from admissions, NAMF memberships, grants, events/rentals, and Museum store proceeds.
The Museum is dedicated to preserving and presenting information about scientific, historic, and cultural aspects of the Atomic Age. Permanent exhibits focus on:
Chronology of Nuclear History — the history of early nuclear science research, including:
Waging Peace — The Challenge of Nuclear Stewardship — An extensive timeline display that explores arms control efforts from the Medieval and Middle Ages (Peace and Truce of God
), through World War I, through the rearmament of Germany and World War II, to nuclear weapons non-proliferation treaties during the Cold War.
They Built the Bomb — A biographical information display about Manhattan Project
scientists, engineers, and administrators such as Emilio G. Segrè
, J. Robert Oppenheimer, William S. Parsons, and Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves
; and lesser-known technicians and support personnel (especially women) such as Elizabeth "Diz" Riddle Graves, Dorothy McKibbin, and Eleanor "Jerry" Roensch (née Stone).
The Decision to Drop — A series of displays striving for objective examination of the history leading up to, and the policy decisions regarding, deployment of the first nuclear weapons code-named Little Boy
and Fat Man
. Panels feature reflection on the consequences of their use from viewpoints of both sides of the debate (see Debate over the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
).
The exhibit includes text of comments by Manhattan Project staff (including a contentious Edward Teller
statement advocating a high-altitude night-time demonstration detonation over Tokyo to precipitate Japanese surrender), text of statements by Japanese politicians and military leaders, a copy of the petition
protesting use without warning submitted by nuclear physicist Leó Szilárd
, and photographs from the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
. The display also features video footage of the reminiscences of Col. Paul Tibbets
(pilot of the Enola Gay
, the B-29 bomber that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan), and coverage of the emotion the surrender of Japan
produced in the United States.
Cold War
— An examination of the strategic conflict between the United States and the USSR in the second half of the 20th Century, through US nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands
and at the Nevada Test Site
, Soviet nuclear development, the October 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis
, and leading to the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union.
Palomares — An extensive accounting of the January 17, 1966 Palomares B-52 crash — a mid-air collision between two USAF aircraft (a B-52 bomber and a KC-135 tanker) over Palomares, Almería
resulting in radioactive contamination following the accidental dropping of four hydrogen bombs.
Nuclear Medicine: Seeing is Healing — A display of early and modern medical equipment using principles of nuclear physics.
Little Al's Lab — An area presided over by an animatronic version of Albert Einstein, provides hands-on science encounter activities for children.
Power Up — A series of displays focusing on civilian use of nuclear power including:
What's Hot, What's Not — Radiation in the World Around Us — A display of everyday items and activities that expose people to ionizing radiation.
Traveling Exhibits — An area devoted to different temporary exhibits.
Both self-guided and docent-led tours are available.
Controversy arose when the Museum relocated to the Old Town museum district and erected its Redstone rocket at the corner of 20th Street and Mountain Road NW. Some people saw the erecting of the rocket in an area of the city frequented by lovers of the arts and families with children as emblematic of pervasive Military-industrial complex
influence in Albuquerque and New Mexico. Others saw the rocket as relevant to accurate portrayal of New Mexico's involvement in the nuclear age. With the opening of the new museum, the Redstone rocket has been relocated to the Eubank site.
The Museum conducts year-round primary, secondary, and adult education programs both in-house and via outreach using the Up'n'Atom Mobile. Professional educator development programs support New Mexico school curriculum standards. The museum hosts guest speakers, annual special events, and week-long youth science camps in the summer. Rental space is available for birthdays and other occasions.
in a storyline as a drug drop area. It appeared in several scenes.
The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History (formerly named National Atomic Museum) is a national repository of nuclear science information chartered by the 102nd United States Congress
102nd United States Congress
-House of Representatives:- Senate :* President:Dan Quayle * President pro tempore: Robert Byrd - Majority leadership :* Majority Leader: George Mitchell* Majority Whip: Wendell Ford- Minority leadership :...
under Public Law 102-190, and located in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
. "The mission of the National Atomic Museum is to serve as America's resource for nuclear history and science. The Museum presents exhibits and quality educational programs that convey the diversity of individuals and events that shape the historical and technical context of the nuclear age."
History
The Museum was originally sited in 1969 on the grounds of Kirtland Air Force BaseKirtland Air Force Base
Kirtland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in the southeast quadrant of the Albuquerque, New Mexico urban area, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport. The base was named for the early Army aviator Col. Roy C. Kirtland...
in an old 90 mm anti-aircraft gun repair facility, and named "Sandia Atomic Museum". It was the result of a six-year effort to establish a museum to tell the story of the base and the development of nuclear weapons, and was staffed by United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
(USAF) personnel with help from Sandia National Laboratories
Sandia National Laboratories
The Sandia National Laboratories, managed and operated by the Sandia Corporation , are two major United States Department of Energy research and development national laboratories....
(SNL). In 1973, the Museum name changed to "National Atomic Museum", but it did not yet have a national charter.
In 1985, the United States Department of Energy
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
(DOE) became responsible for the Museum, and the staff became DOE employees. In 1991 the Museum received its charter as a national museum and its mission expanded to include aspects of nuclear science and history beyond the manufacturing of nuclear weapons. The Museum also became affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
. In 1992 the National Atomic Museum Foundation (NAMF) was created to act as a supporting organization for the Museum and reduce the financial burden on taxpayers.
DOE transferred Museum operation to SNL in 1995, and Museum staff became SNL employees.
After the terror attacks in September 2001, increased security restricted public access to the Museum's on-base site and forced relocation to a former REI store in Old Town Albuquerque
Old Town Albuquerque
Old Town is a historic district in Albuquerque, New Mexico, dating back to the founding of the city by the Spanish in 1706. Today it is a popular shopping and tourist destination. Old Town comprises about ten blocks of historic adobe buildings grouped around a central plaza...
's museum district. In 2005, SNL transferred operational responsibility to NAMF. SNL employees working as museum staff moved to other positions within Sandia. The Museum hired new staff who became employees of NAMF.
When the Museum relocated to Albuquerque's museum district, the site had inadequate space for outdoor exhibits. In January 2005, NAMF asked DOE/NNSA (National Nuclear Security Administration
National Nuclear Security Administration
The United States National Nuclear Security Administration is part of the United States Department of Energy. It works to improve national security through the military application of nuclear energy...
) for 12 acres (4.9 ha) of land at the intersection of Eubank and Southern Boulevards in southeast Albuquerque for construction of a new museum. In October 2006 a formal Land Use Agreement was signed with SNL as Grantor and NAMF as Grantee. Ground was broken and construction was begun. Museum staff documented its construction project via a blog and a Flickr gallery where photos were posted weekly to show the building's progress.
The new Museum opened on April 4, 2009 in its new location under the new name National Museum of Nuclear Science & History.
Funding for construction came from multiple sources, including:
- $5 million in Federal funds for design and construction
- $1 million transferred from the State of New Mexico to the City of Albuquerque for infrastructure
- $2.63 million from corporations
- $25 thousand from foundations
- $500 thousand from individual contributions
The new facility incorporates 13 permanent indoor exhibit areas, two classrooms, a theater, library and conference room, a gallery for temporary exhibits, and the Museum's store in 30,000 sq ft (0.28 ha). of space. The site provides 9 acres (3.6 ha) of outdoor space for exhibits of military aircraft, missiles, vehicles, and the sail of the nuclear submarine.
Museum operating costs of approximately $1M annually are provided by NAMF, and received from three primary sources: Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
($500K), SNL ($250K), and Museum revenues ($250K) from admissions, NAMF memberships, grants, events/rentals, and Museum store proceeds.
Exhibits and displays
- Section source: NMoNSH
The Museum is dedicated to preserving and presenting information about scientific, historic, and cultural aspects of the Atomic Age. Permanent exhibits focus on:
Chronology of Nuclear History — the history of early nuclear science research, including:
- an account of earliest insights into the atomic structure of matter and the elements
- an extensive biographical display of Madame Marie CurieMarie CurieMarie Skłodowska-Curie was a physicist and chemist famous for her pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the first person honored with two Nobel Prizes—in physics and chemistry...
- poignant discussion of early victims of unknowning radiation exposure such as Sister Blandina, a German nun who worked as an X-ray radiographer and subsequently died from improper radiography operating practices.
Waging Peace — The Challenge of Nuclear Stewardship — An extensive timeline display that explores arms control efforts from the Medieval and Middle Ages (Peace and Truce of God
Peace and Truce of God
The Peace and Truce of God was a medieval European movement of the Catholic Church that applied spiritual sanctions in order to limit the violence of private war in feudal society. The movement constituted the first organized attempt to control civil society in medieval Europe through non-violent...
), through World War I, through the rearmament of Germany and World War II, to nuclear weapons non-proliferation treaties during the Cold War.
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research and development program, led by the United States with participation from the United Kingdom and Canada, that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II. From 1942 to 1946, the project was under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the US Army...
scientists, engineers, and administrators such as Emilio G. Segrè
Emilio G. Segrè
Emilio Gino Segrè was an Italian-born, naturalized American, physicist and Nobel laureate in physics, who with Owen Chamberlain, discovered antiprotons, a sub-atomic antiparticle.-Biography:...
, J. Robert Oppenheimer, William S. Parsons, and Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves
Leslie Groves
Lieutenant General Leslie Richard Groves, Jr. was a United States Army Corps of Engineers officer who oversaw the construction of the Pentagon and directed the Manhattan Project that developed the atomic bomb during World War II. As the son of a United States Army chaplain, Groves lived at a...
; and lesser-known technicians and support personnel (especially women) such as Elizabeth "Diz" Riddle Graves, Dorothy McKibbin, and Eleanor "Jerry" Roensch (née Stone).
The Decision to Drop — A series of displays striving for objective examination of the history leading up to, and the policy decisions regarding, deployment of the first nuclear weapons code-named Little Boy
Little Boy
"Little Boy" was the codename of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 by the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay, piloted by Colonel Paul Tibbets of the 393rd Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, of the United States Army Air Forces. It was the first atomic bomb to be used as a weapon...
and Fat Man
Fat Man
"Fat Man" is the codename for the atomic bomb that was detonated over Nagasaki, Japan, by the United States on August 9, 1945. It was the second of the only two nuclear weapons to be used in warfare to date , and its detonation caused the third man-made nuclear explosion. The name also refers more...
. Panels feature reflection on the consequences of their use from viewpoints of both sides of the debate (see Debate over the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Debate over the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The debate over the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki concerns the ethical, legal and military controversies surrounding the United States' atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 August and 9 August 1945 at the close of the Second World War...
).
The exhibit includes text of comments by Manhattan Project staff (including a contentious Edward Teller
Edward Teller
Edward Teller was a Hungarian-American theoretical physicist, known colloquially as "the father of the hydrogen bomb," even though he did not care for the title. Teller made numerous contributions to nuclear and molecular physics, spectroscopy , and surface physics...
statement advocating a high-altitude night-time demonstration detonation over Tokyo to precipitate Japanese surrender), text of statements by Japanese politicians and military leaders, a copy of the petition
Szilárd petition
The Szilárd petition, drafted by scientist Leó Szilárd, was signed by 155 scientists working on the Manhattan Project in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and the Metallurgical Laboratory in Chicago, Illinois. It was circulated in July 1945 and asked President Harry S. Truman to consider an observed...
protesting use without warning submitted by nuclear physicist Leó Szilárd
Leó Szilárd
Leó Szilárd was an Austro-Hungarian physicist and inventor who conceived the nuclear chain reaction in 1933, patented the idea of a nuclear reactor with Enrico Fermi, and in late 1939 wrote the letter for Albert Einstein's signature that resulted in the Manhattan Project that built the atomic bomb...
, and photographs from the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is located in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, in central Hiroshima, Japan.It was established in August 1955 with the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Hall ....
. The display also features video footage of the reminiscences of Col. Paul Tibbets
Paul Tibbets
Paul Warfield Tibbets, Jr. was a brigadier general in the United States Air Force, best known for being the pilot of the Enola Gay, the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb in the history of warfare. The bomb, code-named Little Boy, was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima...
(pilot of the Enola Gay
Enola Gay
Enola Gay is a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, named after Enola Gay Tibbets, mother of the pilot, then-Colonel Paul Tibbets. On August 6, 1945, during the final stages of World War II, it became the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb as a weapon of war...
, the B-29 bomber that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan), and coverage of the emotion the surrender of Japan
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
produced in the United States.
Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
— An examination of the strategic conflict between the United States and the USSR in the second half of the 20th Century, through US nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
and at the Nevada Test Site
Nevada Test Site
The Nevada National Security Site , previously the Nevada Test Site , is a United States Department of Energy reservation located in southeastern Nye County, Nevada, about northwest of the city of Las Vegas...
, Soviet nuclear development, the October 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
, and leading to the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union.
Palomares — An extensive accounting of the January 17, 1966 Palomares B-52 crash — a mid-air collision between two USAF aircraft (a B-52 bomber and a KC-135 tanker) over Palomares, Almería
Palomares, Almería
Palomares is an agricultural, fishing and tourist village on the Mediterranean Sea in the Almería province of Andalusia, Spain. It is about 20 meters above sea level...
resulting in radioactive contamination following the accidental dropping of four hydrogen bombs.
Nuclear Medicine: Seeing is Healing — A display of early and modern medical equipment using principles of nuclear physics.
Little Al's Lab — An area presided over by an animatronic version of Albert Einstein, provides hands-on science encounter activities for children.
Power Up — A series of displays focusing on civilian use of nuclear power including:
- history of nuclear reactorNuclear reactorA nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships. Usually heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid , which runs through turbines that power either ship's...
s and discussion of their engineering principles - examination of nuclear power accidents, safety engineering, and waste treatment/storage
- models of the American Palo Verde Nuclear Generating StationPalo Verde Nuclear Generating StationThe Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station is a nuclear power plant located in Wintersburg, Arizona, about 45 miles west of central Phoenix. It is the largest nuclear generation facility in the United States, averaging over 3.3 gigawatts of electrical power production in 2008 to serve...
and French SuperphénixSuperphénixSuperphénix or SPX was a nuclear power station on the Rhône River at Creys-Malville in France, close to the border with Switzerland. A fast breeder reactor, it halted electricity production in 1996 and was closed as a commercial plant in 1997....
Fast breeder reactor - a model of the NS SavannahNS SavannahNS Savannah, named for SS Savannah, was the first nuclear-powered cargo-passenger ship, built in the late 1950s at a cost of $46.9 million, including a $28.3 million nuclear reactor and fuel core, funded by United States government agencies as a demonstration project for the potential...
, the first nuclear-powered merchant ship - nuclear energy as one part of a spectrum of alternative energy-producing methods
What's Hot, What's Not — Radiation in the World Around Us — A display of everyday items and activities that expose people to ionizing radiation.
Traveling Exhibits — An area devoted to different temporary exhibits.
Both self-guided and docent-led tours are available.
Noteworthy artifacts
- replicas of Little BoyLittle Boy"Little Boy" was the codename of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 by the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay, piloted by Colonel Paul Tibbets of the 393rd Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, of the United States Army Air Forces. It was the first atomic bomb to be used as a weapon...
and Fat ManFat Man"Fat Man" is the codename for the atomic bomb that was detonated over Nagasaki, Japan, by the United States on August 9, 1945. It was the second of the only two nuclear weapons to be used in warfare to date , and its detonation caused the third man-made nuclear explosion. The name also refers more... - assorted modern nuclear bombs and warheads
- a WE.177WE.177WE.177 was the last air-delivered tactical nuclear weapon of the British Armed Forces. There were three versions; WE.177A was a boosted fission weapon, while WE.177B and WE.177C were thermonuclear weapons...
bomb (British nuclear weapon deployed from the 1960s until 1998) - a Norden bombsightNorden bombsightThe Norden bombsight was a tachometric bombsight used by the United States Army Air Forces and the United States Navy during World War II, and the United States Air Force in the Korean and the Vietnam Wars to aid the crew of bomber aircraft in dropping bombs accurately...
- two of the actual bomb casings from the Palomares hydrogen bombs incident
- a collection of items reflecting daily life at Los AlamosLos Alamos National LaboratoryLos Alamos National Laboratory is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory, managed and operated by Los Alamos National Security , located in Los Alamos, New Mexico...
during the Manhattan ProjectManhattan ProjectThe Manhattan Project was a research and development program, led by the United States with participation from the United Kingdom and Canada, that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II. From 1942 to 1946, the project was under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the US Army...
. - an assortment of kitschKitschKitsch is a form of art that is considered an inferior, tasteless copy of an extant style of art or a worthless imitation of art of recognized value. The concept is associated with the deliberate use of elements that may be thought of as cultural icons while making cheap mass-produced objects that...
and products exemplifying the impact of the Atomic Age on US culture. - an early flouroscope X-ray device
- a shoe-fitting fluoroscope from the 1920s
- a PRISM 2000 XP Gamma Camera (example of more modern nuclear imaging technology)
- a display of nuclear and homeopathic medical quackery artifacts
- an extensive model collection of military aircraft and other vehicles
- a LegoLegoLego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
model of Chicago Pile-1Chicago Pile-1Chicago Pile-1 was the world's first man-made nuclear reactor. CP-1 was built on a rackets court, under the abandoned west stands of the original Alonzo Stagg Field stadium, at the University of Chicago. The first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction was initiated in CP-1 on December 2, 1942...
Controversy arose when the Museum relocated to the Old Town museum district and erected its Redstone rocket at the corner of 20th Street and Mountain Road NW. Some people saw the erecting of the rocket in an area of the city frequented by lovers of the arts and families with children as emblematic of pervasive Military-industrial complex
Military-industrial complex
Military–industrial complex , or Military–industrial-congressional complex is a concept commonly used to refer to policy and monetary relationships between legislators, national armed forces, and the industrial sector that supports them...
influence in Albuquerque and New Mexico. Others saw the rocket as relevant to accurate portrayal of New Mexico's involvement in the nuclear age. With the opening of the new museum, the Redstone rocket has been relocated to the Eubank site.
Aircraft on display
- A-7 Corsair IIA-7 Corsair IIThe Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II is a carrier-based subsonic light attack aircraft introduced to replace the United States Navy's Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, initially entering service during the Vietnam War...
Navy Bureau number 154407 - B-29 SuperfortressB-29 SuperfortressThe B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
USAF serial number 45-21748 - B-52B StratofortressB-52 StratofortressThe Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
(originally RB-52B) USAF serial number 52-013 - F-105D ThunderchiefF-105 ThunderchiefThe Republic F-105 Thunderchief, was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vietnam War; it has the dubious distinction of being the only US aircraft to have been...
USAF serial number 61-0107
Science education and community activities
In popular culture
The former museum site was used in the 2008 AMC television show Breaking BadBreaking Bad
Breaking Bad is an American television drama series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and produced in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Breaking Bad is the story of Walter White , a struggling high school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with advanced lung cancer at the beginning of the series...
in a storyline as a drug drop area. It appeared in several scenes.
External links
- National Museum of Nuclear Science & History — official site
- Trinity [Atomic Test] Site: The 50th Anniversary of the Atomic Bomb (an e-book at Project Gutenberg)
- A Visitor's Pictorial Web Site of the old Museum at Kirtland AFB. National Atomic Museum Pictorial, Kirtland AFBKirtland Air Force BaseKirtland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in the southeast quadrant of the Albuquerque, New Mexico urban area, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport. The base was named for the early Army aviator Col. Roy C. Kirtland...
.