Heart of Innovation
Research on nuclear weapons has provided the United States with the ability to deter the use of nuclear weapons… throughout the past half century."
—Edward Teller, Memoirs: A Twentieth-Century Journey in Science and Politics
Since its inception, the "Rad Lab at Livermore" (which became Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in 1979) has helped the nation meet important challenges through innovations in science and technology. The initial challenge, the one that set the stage for all that followed, was the design of nuclear weapons.
1970: Multiple Independent Reentry Vehicle (MIRV)
A ballistic missile may carry multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRV), each containing a warhead and capable of being aimed to hit a different target. The Minuteman III, deployed in 1970 and the first true MIRV design, held three smaller W62 warheads designed and successfully tested by Livermore.
2004: First U.S. warhead life extension program, W87
To prepare for long-term continuing deployment of the W87 warhead on Minuteman III missiles, a life extension program (LEP) was initiated in 1995. Certification without nuclear testing was an important demonstration under the Stockpile Stewardship Program, making the W87 the first successful conclusion of an LEP in 2004.
The Giants of the Nuclear Testing Era
Learn about a few of our pioneers who led nuclear weapon innovation
Robert Clough
“Engineering makes concepts a reality. Robert Clough drove the engineering side of the Weapons Program, so he was pivotal in putting these weapons in the stockpile and maintaining them.”
Dan Patterson
“Dan Patterson refined modern thermonuclear design. Equally importantly, he helped lead the transition from live testing to stockpile stewardship.”
Seymour Sack
“Seymour leaves behind a large family of scientists who owe to him the insistence on excellence he passed on to the design community. We stand on the shoulders of this giant and we shall miss him.”
