"Little red schoolhouse" history question (crosspost from s.s.h.)

General Atomic, Convair, and General Dynamics all worked at a small Navy
schoolhouse in Point Loma, part of San Diego. There, the TRIGA family of
engineered-safe reactors was created by Professor Teller's team, among many
other accomplishments. The first prototype operated continuously and without
fault for over 45 years before being retired in fully operational condition.
There were symposiums on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and all sorts of
rocketry work as well. The Barnard School in Point Loma and its connection to
those times are a fascination of mine and if anyone has information about the
work that General Atomics and the other two countries did there, please share
it with me. It seemed to have been at 'ground zero' for some of the most
profound research of the late 1950s and I'd like to know what else they worked
on, and exactly who all was here - I already know about the Mercury astronauts
in 1959, but I can't find the exact date (Mr. Schirra didn't recall). All
input appreciated.

v/r
Gordon

"Gordon" wrote in message
...
General Atomic, Convair, and General Dynamics all worked at a small Navy
schoolhouse in Point Loma, part of San Diego. There, the TRIGA family of
engineered-safe reactors was created by Professor Teller's team, among
many
other accomplishments.

Is this the kind of thing they helped to create?
http://www.engg.ksu.edu/ees/centers/reactor.htm

--
Alan Erskine
alanerskine(at)optusnet.com.au

The U.S. Government is in the
peculiar position of toppling foreign
governments in the name of democracy.

Oh, how democractic!

Is this the kind of thing they helped to create?
http://www.engg.ksu.edu/ees/centers/reactor.htm

That's one of them. Remarkable engineering and proof that atomic power can be
done sanely.

v/r
Gordon

Derek Lyons wrote:
nt (Gordon) wrote:


Is this the kind of thing they helped to create?
http://www.engg.ksu.edu/ees/centers/reactor.htm

That's one of them. Remarkable engineering and proof that atomic
power can be done sanely.

Umm... No. A research reactor in a pool bears almost no resemblence
to a power reactor.

IIRC, the first reactor was built on a tennis (badminton?) court.
Was the court restored to its former usage afterwards, and does it
still exist?
--
http://inquisitor.i.am/ | | Ian Stirling.
---------------------------+-------------------------+--------------------------
"The device every conquerer, yes, every altruistic liberator should be required
to wear on his shield... is a little girl and her kitten, at ground zero"
- Sir Dominic Flandry in Poul Andersons 'A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows'

nt (Gordon) wrote in message ...
General Atomic, Convair, and General Dynamics all worked at a small Navy
schoolhouse in Point Loma, part of San Diego. There, the TRIGA family of
engineered-safe reactors was created by Professor Teller's team, among many
other accomplishments. The first prototype operated continuously and without
fault for over 45 years before being retired in fully operational condition.
There were symposiums on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and all sorts of
rocketry work as well. The Barnard School in Point Loma and its connection to
those times are a fascination of mine and if anyone has information about the
work that General Atomics and the other two countries did there, please share
it with me. It seemed to have been at 'ground zero' for some of the most
profound research of the late 1950s and I'd like to know what else they worked
on, and exactly who all was here - I already know about the Mercury astronauts
in 1959, but I can't find the exact date (Mr. Schirra didn't recall). All
input appreciated.

Wasn't Freeman Dyson involved in TRIGA?

Wasn't Freeman Dyson involved in TRIGA?



He wrote the book on it and was one of the school's luminaries. I already
wrote him for his input on the site. Does anyone know if Dick Feynmann was
here..?

v/r
Gordon

That's one of them. Remarkable engineering and proof that atomic
power can be done sanely.

Umm... No. A research reactor in a pool bears almost no resemblence
to a power reactor.

I thought the TRIGAs create nuclear power - thanks for the correction.

v/r
Gordon

Ian Stirling wrote:

Derek Lyons wrote:
nt (Gordon) wrote:


Is this the kind of thing they helped to create?
http://www.engg.ksu.edu/ees/centers/reactor.htm

That's one of them. Remarkable engineering and proof that atomic
power can be done sanely.

Umm... No. A research reactor in a pool bears almost no resemblence
to a power reactor.

IIRC, the first reactor was built on a tennis (badminton?) court.

Correct.

Was the court restored to its former usage afterwards, and does it
still exist?

I don't know, and I believe not.

D.
--
The STS-107 Columbia Loss FAQ can be found
at the following URLs:

Text-Only Version:
http://www.io.com/~o_m/columbia_loss_faq.html

Enhanced HTML Version:
http://www.io.com/~o_m/columbia_loss_faq_x.html

Corrections, comments, and additions should be
e-mailed to , as well as posted to
sci.space.history and sci.space.shuttle for
discussion.

nt (Gordon) wrote:


That's one of them. Remarkable engineering and proof that atomic
power can be done sanely.

Umm... No. A research reactor in a pool bears almost no resemblence
to a power reactor.

I thought the TRIGAs create nuclear power - thanks for the correction.


A research/production reactor like TRIGA is used mainly to generate
radioactive particles in order to irradiate substances for research or
practical usage. For all intents and purposes it's at sea level
pressure and does not generate much in the way of heat.

A power reactor on the other hand typically operates at high
temperature (pressure) in order to produce high energy steam.

D.
--
The STS-107 Columbia Loss FAQ can be found
at the following URLs:

Text-Only Version:
http://www.io.com/~o_m/columbia_loss_faq.html

Enhanced HTML Version:
http://www.io.com/~o_m/columbia_loss_faq_x.html

Corrections, comments, and additions should be
e-mailed to , as well as posted to
sci.space.history and sci.space.shuttle for
discussion.

"Gordon" wrote in message
...
General Atomic, Convair, and General Dynamics all worked at a small Navy
schoolhouse in Point Loma, part of San Diego. There, the TRIGA family of
engineered-safe reactors was created by Professor Teller's team, among
many
other accomplishments. The first prototype operated continuously and
without
fault for over 45 years before being retired in fully operational
condition.
There were symposiums on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and all sorts
of
rocketry work as well. The Barnard School in Point Loma and its
connection to
those times are a fascination of mine and if anyone has information about
the
work that General Atomics and the other two countries did there, please
share
it with me. It seemed to have been at 'ground zero' for some of the most
profound research of the late 1950s and I'd like to know what else they
worked
on, and exactly who all was here - I already know about the Mercury
astronauts
in 1959, but I can't find the exact date (Mr. Schirra didn't recall). All
input appreciated.

In the early to mid 50's, my father was in the Navy and stationed in San
Diego. As far as I know, he didn't do anything with nuclear power although
he visited Nagasaki in 54. I recently talked to a sailor who was in
Nagasaki 5 months after the blast. I have a couple of 1954 pictures of
Nagasaki that I could scan and post.