Historic Sites - The Graphite Reactor (X-10) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
26 The Graphite Reactor (X-10) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- The Graphite Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the world's oldest nuclear reactor to operate at power.
In 1939, German scientists succeeded in splitting atoms of uranium, resulting in an energy source capable of producing a bomb more destructive than anyone had ever imagined. American scientists, concerned that Hitler would produce and use such a bomb, urged the development of American nuclear programs. By 1942, American research had insured the feasibility of a nuclear bomb, and the Manhattan Engineer District was born. Remote eastern Tennessee, with water, cheap land, and the Tennessee Valley Authority’s hydroelectric plants nearby, was chosen as a production site. In just three short years Oak Ridge (the "City Behind a Fence") became the fifth largest city in Tennessee. The secret "Manhattan Project" resulted in the world’s first use of atomic energy as a weapon at Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945. The Graphite Reactor, a National Historic Landmark, is located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The reactor was used as a pilot plant and for producing the first measurable quantities of the manmade element plutonium. Visitors can see the control room and radioisotopes and experiment rooms. The laboratory also features interactive videos and an exhibit area.
The Graphite Reactor (X-10) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory Web Site
Bethel Valley Road,
Oak Ridge, TN 37830
(865) 574-4160
