4 ms·
> On March 10, 1945, one of the last paper balloons descended in the vicinity of the Manhattan Project's production facility at the Hanford Site. This balloon c
by mirimir 7y ago
> On March 10, 1945, one of the last paper balloons descended in the vicinity of the Manhattan Project's production facility at the Hanford Site. This balloon caused a short circuit in the power lines supplying electricity for the nuclear reactor cooling pumps, but backup safety devices restored power almost immediately.[26]
It would have been quite the win if it had caused a meltdown. That might have delayed the US nuclear attack on Nagasaki. Although perhaps enough plutonium had been produced by then.
As I understand it, Japan didn't surrender until Nagasaki got nuked. And maybe Russia would have invaded before the US managed it.
- TrumpSucks 7y agoSo someone else could use them first? Try thinking before you type.
- danielheath 7y agoThe surrender came after Nagasaki (which is a plausible reason to surrender to the US), but it also came at a time when a Russian invasion was imminent (which is also a good reason to surrender to the US - in Europe, the US army had been much gentler to civilians than the Russian one had).
- mirimir 7y agoTrue, surrendering to Russians was a bad idea. They had quite the grudge over Leningrad.