The Downey location is where we visited the Space Shuttle Inspiration while doing some location scouting for a motion picture. We also went up to the Santa Susana Field Laboratory, where I took a number of location shots. I think I still have those somewhere in storage.
For the information about the nuclear reactor at Downey, see the Water Boiler Neutron Source at:
Atomics International
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Atomics International was a division of the North American Aviation company (later acquired by the Rockwell International company) which engaged principally in the early development of nuclear technology and nuclear reactors for both commercial and government applications. Atomics International was responsible for a number of accomplishments relating to nuclear energy: design, construction and operation of the first nuclear reactor in California (1952),[1] the first nuclear reactor to produce power for a commercial power grid in the United States (1957)[2] and the first nuclear reactor launched into outer space by the United States (1965).[3]
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Company history
Following World War II, the potential of nuclear power captured the interest of the United States Government and the general public. In 1948, North American Aviation created an internal organization called the Atomic Energy Research Department to manage its government and commercial nuclear research and development activities. The Atomic Energy Research Department designed, constructed and operated a 5 watt thermal aqueous homogeneous reactor at Downey, California, which on April 21, 1952 became the first nuclear reactor to operate in the State of California.[5] In 1955, the AERD was renamed the Atomics International division of North American Aviation.
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Downey Facility
The Atomic Energy Research Development Group began operations in the North American Aviation plant located on Lakewood Drive in Downey, California. They performed basic research and constructed at least one aqueous homogeneous reactor named the Water Boiler Neutron Source. The four watt reactor was shut down and moved to the Santa Susana Field Laboratory in December 1955.[12] The reactor-related facilities were examined and determined to be free of residual radioactivity and reused as general office space. The Downey facility was transferred to the City of Downey and the buildings subsequently demolished and replaced with a variety of commercial buildings.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomics_International#Downey_Facility
Whiskey, that is excellent research.
However, I am talking about a DIFFERENT reactor. The program was classified, therefore the reactor was not known to the public. According to my source, this reactor did NOT end up at Santa Susanna.
I’ll bet there were not more than 5 execs or managers in the company that even knew it existed. Everybody who was on the project had long since died. That was in 1983.
I don’t know how much experience you have, but in some of the companies that I worked for, the Black programs had a different chain of command than the regular programs. The Division President and COO did not know exactly what was being done in their own divisions or buildings. And they knew not to ask either.
I know this because one of my inventions became classified. I had to brief some corporate guy that you would never suspect of being in the loop. There was only one level above him instead of the usual chain of command that was five levels deep.
Unless the old man lied, there IS a nuke reactor buried under the runway.