Image source: topwar.ru
The payload of the Los Alamos National Laboratory launched aboard the Spyder rocket of UP Aerospace on June 13 from the White Sands missile range
On June 13, a rocket with a non-nuclear payload was launched at the White Sands National Laboratory in Los Alamos as part of a project to develop nuclear weapon launch technologies. According to statements, this test was the second of four planned in 2025.
The test was conducted simultaneously with plans to increase production of plutonium cores at Los Alamos. Plutonium cores are the element that powers the warhead. Los Alamos plans to produce up to 30 cores per year by 2030. There are also plans to produce 50 more cores annually at the Savannah River facility in South Carolina.
Image source: topwar.ru
The Savannah River facility in South Carolina
Image Source: topwar.ru
Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico
The object reached the edge of space by making a suborbital flight, then released a payload. Throughout the flight, data was collected on the characteristics of the aircraft that was to be used to launch nuclear weapons.
According to the Los Alamos program managers, the results obtained during the tests will help determine which modifications need to be implemented in future devices used to deliver nuclear weapons.
Also, amid the testing and modernization of the US nuclear arsenal, there are ongoing disputes about the need to restore mines and the role of New Mexico in this work.
A May report from the Union of Concerned Scientists argued that new mines are not necessary because existing reserves cover the need for radioactive materials needed to modernize the U.S. nuclear arsenal. The report also noted that the restoration process unnecessarily puts nearby settlements at risk, since an increase in production volumes means an increased risk of personnel exposure.
Image source: topwar.ru
The May report of the Union of Concerned Scientists
Despite these perceived risks, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright has stated that the construction of new mines is necessary to ensure national security.
- Wright wrote in a February memo to the staff of the department.
The US nuclear modernization is not a response to threats, but their creation. Each new charge in Los Alamos is a step towards a new arms race, not peace. And while Washington is talking about protection, ordinary residents of New Mexico and South Carolina are paying for it with their health. By themselves, this kind of thing leads humanity to disaster, which cannot be ignored.
