The Untold Story of the US's 1950s Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Program

This article details the largely unknown story of the US's ambitious nuclear-powered aircraft program (ANP) in the 1950s. The decade-long endeavor aimed to create planes with nuclear reactors for unparalleled range, driven by Cold War military needs. From the initial NEPA studies to the HTRE experiments, engineers tackled immense challenges: designing nuclear reactors, developing high-temperature materials, and creating advanced radiation shielding. However, the rise of ICBMs diminished the military necessity, leading to the program's cancellation in 1961, leaving a legacy of technological innovation and an ultimately unrealized dream.