U.S. to Conduct Subcritical Nuclear Test Friday

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, June 06, 2002

U.S. to Conduct Subcritical Nuclear Test Friday

The United States will conduct a subcritical nuclear experiment Friday at an underground test site in Nevada, the Energy Department said Wednesday.

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The United States will conduct a subcritical nuclear experiment Friday at an underground test site in Nevada, the Energy Department said Wednesday.

The department said earlier in the day that it will carry out the test Thursday, but postponed it to Friday due to a technical issue. The experiment was initially scheduled for Wednesday.

Subcritical nuclear experiments differ from traditional nuclear weapons tests in that they do not reach criticality or sustain a nuclear chain reaction.

The U.S. argues such tests are necessary to collect scientific data and technical information to maintain the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpiles.

Antinuclear groups, however, say subcritical nuclear tests run counter to the spirit of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty on nuclear weapons.

The planned test, the 17th of its kind and the fourth under the administration of President George W. Bush, will be part of the so-called Oboe series of relatively small-scale subcritical nuclear experiments.

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