Before the Trinity test, Manhattan Project officials realized that a calibration explosion using ordinary high-explosives would be useful.
This section provides an overview of the history of the Manhattan Project, the key organizations involved, the science behind the bomb, and more.
[2]216th Army Air Forces Base Unit [2]
The 216th AAF served a crucial role in the Manhattan Project by helping to design and drop test bombs at Wendover Airfield, Utah.
[3]509th Composite Group [3]
The 509th Composite Group was organized as the weapon delivery arm of the Manhattan Project.
[4]African Americans and the Manhattan Project [4]
African Americans played an important, though often overlooked, role on the Manhattan Project.
[5]Alsos Mission [5]
The Alsos Mission's goal was to learn how close Germany was to developing its own atomic weapon.
[6]Atomic Accidents [6]
Although the Manhattan Project was overall a surprisingly safe project, there were a few tragic accidents.
[7]Atomic Age Design [7]
The development of nuclear weapons had a notable impact on many aspects of American culture [8], including design. Spanning the late 1940s through about 1960, Atomic Age design is characterized by references and responses to nuclear science and the atomic bomb.
[8]Atomic Culture [8]
Since the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, people in the United States and around the world have developed cultural expressions of the atomic bomb.
[9]Atomic Energy Commission [9]
The Atomic Energy Commission succeeded the Manhattan Engineer District in January 1947, when the Atomic Energy Act went into effect.