Project Sedan, 1962

Thursday, Sept. 5, 2002 | 8:48 a.m.

Project Sedan, a Plowshare Program test that promoted the application of nuclear explosives to develop peaceful uses for atomic energy, was conducted at the Nevada Test Site on July 6, 1962.

This cratering explosion, with a yield of 104 kilotons, displaced 12 million tons of earth and formed a 1,280-foot-diameter by 320-foot-deep crater in the desert floor, releasing seismic energy equivalent to 4.75 on the Richter Scale.

The purpose of the Sedan explosion was to determine if nuclear devices could be used as cratering or earth-moving mechanisms.

Source: Energy Department

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