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Project 57
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<p>Project 57 was an open-air nuclear test conducted by the United States at the <a href="/facts/Nevada_Test_and_Training_Range/bW4Hb7nW">Nellis Air Force Range</a> in 1957, following <a href="/facts/Operation_Redwing/DVVSaYdI">Operation Redwing</a>, and preceding <a href="/facts/Operation_Plumbbob/TdoevUuN">Operation Plumbbob</a>. The test area, also known as Area 13, was a 10 miles (16 km) by 16 miles (26 km) block of land abutting the northeast boundary of the <a href="/facts/Nevada_National_Security_Site/eWg04MIr">Nevada National Security Site</a>. </p><p>Project 57 was a combination safety test. The high explosives of a nuclear weapon were detonated asymmetrically to simulate an accidental detonation. The purpose of the test was to verify that no yield would result as well as study the extent of plutonium contamination. </p><p>The contaminated area was initially fenced off and the contaminated equipment buried in place. In 1981, the U.S. Department of Energy decontaminated and decommissioned the site. Hundreds of thousands of cubic yards of soil and debris were removed from <a href="/facts/Area_13_(NTS)/bW4Hb7nW">Area 13</a> and disposed of in a waste facility at the Nevada Test Site. </p> United States' Project 57 series tests and detonations<table><tbody><tr><th>Name </th><th>Date time (<a href="/facts/Universal_Time/l1FIFGKn">UT</a>)</th><th>Local <a href="/facts/Time_Zone/x5JzdlX8">time zone</a></th><th><a href="/facts/List_of_nuclear_test_sites/bkoRus4c">Location</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Elevation/h2d0u9nd">Elevation</a> + height </th><th>Delivery Purpose </th><th><a href="/facts/List_of_nuclear_weapons/MwGSWHLV">Device</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Nuclear_weapon_yield/53of1vqQ">Yield</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Nuclear_fallout/I1kJkLKt">Fallout</a></th><th>References</th><th>Notes</th></tr><tr><th><i>1</i></th><td>April 24, 1957 14:27:??</td><td>PST (–8 hrs)</td><td><a href="/facts/Nevada_National_Security_Site/eWg04MIr">NTS</a> Area 13 <a href="https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Project_57¶ms=37.31935_N_115.90608_W_&title=1">37°19′10″N 115°54′22″W / 37.31935°N 115.90608°W / 37.31935; -115.90608 (1)</a></td><td>1,400 m (4,600 ft) + 0</td><td>dry surface,safety experiment</td><td><a href="/facts/W25_(nuclear_warhead)/s95LBoWX">XW-25</a></td><td>no yield</td><td></td><td></td><td>Contamination hazard test of the XW-25 air defense warhead; successful.</td></tr></tbody></table>