Idaho National Laboratory’s Advanced Test Reactor, or ATR, is celebrating 50 years of being a source of nuclear research used globally. This $40 million construction project began operation on July 2, 1967. The reactor is used to study the effects of radiation on reactor materials and fuels.
The ATR is tapped by a host of agencies including nuclear bodies around the globe and foreign industries. It also has applications in medicine. The ATR can generate medical isotopes used to treat cancer, diagnose disorders or address conditions such as arthritis and hyperthyroidism. Research using the reactor has also played a role in shaping the U.S. Navy’s nuclear powered ships and submarines.
Idaho’s political delegation in the nation’s capitol released a video praising the half-century of research and discoveries to come from the reactor. A celebration honoring the ATR’s 50th anniversary is today in Idaho Falls.
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