Dayton Project, Research facility in Dayton, United States
The Dayton Project was a research facility that focused on extracting and processing polonium for nuclear weapons during World War II. The work took place across multiple buildings scattered throughout the city.
Scientists developed methods to produce polonium-based initiators, which were essential components for the nuclear weapons used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. After the war, the facility was transformed into Mound Laboratories in 1949 and continued operations until its decommissioning in 1993.
The facility represented a major collaboration between the military, scientists, and industry in developing atomic weapons technology. This partnership shaped how American research projects were organized and conducted during wartime.
Most of the original buildings are no longer accessible to the public, as they have been demolished or repurposed. Visitors can find historical markers and information signs throughout the city that tell the story of the site's role in wartime research.
A Soviet spy named George Koval infiltrated the facility and gathered critical information about polonium production methods that influenced foreign nuclear capabilities. This intelligence operation remained hidden for decades until after the Cold War ended.
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