LANL students get rare, exclusive visit to Trinity Site

June 24, 2011—It happens only twice a year for the general public—but summer students at LANL were given special access this month (June 14) to tour the Trinity Site, where Manhattan Project scientists conducted the world’s first atomic blast in 1945.

Adam Davis of the LANL Students Association said summer interns usually aren’t here during the normal public open house dates in April and October.

“They very graciously opened up the site just for us,” Davis said.

Foundations of the Lab

About 100 summer students were able to make the trip to the site in southern New Mexico, on the White Sands Missile Range near Alamogordo.

“Even though we’ve broadened our scope since then, it gave the students a chance to see where we came from.  It allowed them to see the foundations of the Lab,” Davis said.

Students also heard the Manhattan Project story from Lab historian Alan Carr and visited the McDonald Ranch House, about two miles from ground zero, where Los Alamos scientists and engineers performed final assembly of the device.

“They were reminded that the science and engineering challenges that confronted Laboratory staff during the Manhattan project are the same challenges that confront us today,” said Jon Ventura of PADWP. “We use leading edge science, engineering and computational tools to assure to the President of the United States that the deterrent is safe, secure and effective.”

Davis also thanked PADSTE and PADWP, who provided funding for the buses to make the trip.