In 1953, President Eisenhower gave a speech on “Atoms for Peace”, introducing a program to test the use of nuclear weapons for peaceful purposes. The program, dubbed Project Plowshare, consisted of 27 different tests between 1961 and 1973. It seems absolutely unthinkable today, but scientists and politicians envisioned using nuclear weapons for building canals, exploiting natural gas, and even stopping a hurricane.
The use of huge nuclear explosives for peaceful means is ludicrous in the 21st century, but in the mid 20th century, futurists couldn’t stop talking about it. Explosions are used in excavation all the time, so using a nuclear explosion for a very large excavation seemed to make sense. It was an age when the world was truly coming under man’s control, when technology and the economy were developing faster than ever before.
Some of the first tests conducted were designed to study the feasibility of using underground nuclear explosions to generate heat that could be used for electricity production, sort of like an artificial geothermal plant. Project Gnome, the very first nuclear detonation test in Plowshare, did indeed create an underground heat reservoir, but the underground temperature was too low. The idea was not abandoned, but studied in great detail with Project PACER, which continued research into the 1970’s after Plowshare was canceled. Ultimately the concept was deemed too expensive, but technically feasible with the right bomb and underground chamber.
One of the most promising areas for the use of peaceful nuclear explosions was in excavation, resulting in the 1962 Sedan nuclear test. Engineers envisioned the use of nuclear weapons to carve out canals, harbors, and mines. Unsurprisingly, the massive explosion from Sedan was effective at moving huge amounts of material, displacing over 11 million tons of earth, the largest of the Plowshare tests. However, the resulting fallout exposed 13 million US citizens to radioactive dust particles shot high into the atmosphere, more than any other nuclear test in US history. The test was conducted in Nevada, but much of the debris ultimately settled in Iowa and other midwestern states. Improvements in fusion technology would later create far-less radioactive bombs, but the damage was done, and public anger would ensure the program would receive less fanfare for successive tests.
As the program moved forward, some attention was shifted towards the use of nuclear explosions for natural gas extraction. However, after the disastrous Sedan, the press and public were not as enthusiastic as they were at the beginning of the program. Project Gasbuggy went ahead in 1967 with minimal outside attention. Aimed at using an underground explosion to fracture rock to allow access to greater amounts of natural gas, the test was actually a success. However, while the explosions allowed for easier extraction, the resulting methane was extremely irradiated, and unfit for use in any home or industry. Two successive tests, Rulison in 1969 and Rio Blanco in 1973, tried to decrease the radioactivity of the resulting natural gas, but the levels were still too high. Rio Blanco would become the last nuclear detonation in Project Plowshare.
Despite ambitious plans, including using nuclear explosives to build a second Panama Canal and carve out mountains for highways, most of these proposals were never realized. The potential risks, such as radioactive fallout and environmental harm, along with technical challenges and high costs, outweighed the perceived benefits. Public opposition grew as awareness of the dangers associated with radiation increased, especially in the wake of atmospheric nuclear tests.
The program officially ended in 1975, after 27 nuclear detonations under Plowshare failed to demonstrate practical, safe applications. Increasing environmental concerns, international treaties such as the Partial Test Ban Treaty of 1963, and rising costs contributed to its termination. Although it failed to achieve its goals, Project Plowshare highlighted the complexities of repurposing military technologies for civilian use and underscored the environmental and public health risks associated with nuclear activities.
The U.S. has not conducted any nuclear testing since 1992 after signing the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. The idea of using nuclear weapons for peaceful processes has not completely gone away, but significant distrust and worry over any nuclear technology continues to run high. Current future applications of nuclear weapons for non warfare purposes include the potential to disrupt the path of an earth-bound space object, extinguishing gas-field fires, space propulsion, and creating cavities for underground storage. Elon Musk has even proposed nuclear bombs to jumpstart terraforming Mars. None of these applications seem likely to actually utilize nuclear explosions anytime soon, but study is still being done using the lessons learned from almost 80 years of nuclear research.
Written by Owen Rogers, Public Policy Associate
The Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii) is an independent, national research and educational organization. An innovative think tank, Aii explores the intersection of economics, law, and public policy in the areas of climate, damage prevention, energy, infrastructure, innovation, technology, and transportation.