Project Camel

Project Camel

Project Camel was an important part of the work done by scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) to help the Manhattan Project during World War II. The Manhattan Project was the secret effort by the United States to build the first atomic bombs.

The scientists and engineers in Project Camel worked on creating important tools and testing new ideas. They built special detonators and tested different shapes for bombs to be dropped from Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers. These tests made sure the bombs would work correctly when used.

One key place linked to Project Camel was the Salt Wells Pilot Plant. Here, they made important parts needed for building nuclear weapons. The work from Project Camel was vital to the success of the larger Manhattan Project and changed the course of World War II.

Background

In the early 1930s, a landing field was built in the Mojave Desert near Inyokern, California by the Works Progress Administration. The United States Army Air Forces later took over the field, and it became part of the Muroc Bombing and Gunnery Range.

In 1943, the Office of Scientific Research and Development asked scientists at the California Institute of Technology to test rockets for the Navy. The scientists used this area for their work.

By late 1944, leaders of the secret Manhattan Project wanted to use the skills of these scientists. They brought some of them to work with the team at the Los Alamos Laboratory.

Codename

All the work done at NOTS for the Manhattan Project had a secret name: Project "Camel". A story says a scientist at Los Alamos made a joke. The joke was that once a camel — meaning Caltech — gets its nose under the tent, it’s hard to get it out again.

Manhattan Project

The Manhattan Project did many tests to see how different bomb shapes would fall. These tests used smaller models dropped from planes at a test range in Virginia. Later, a new airfield was built for bigger planes like the Boeing B-29 Superfortress for more testing.

Teams worked on making special parts called detonators for the bombs. They had trouble making sure these parts worked well. Factories worked to make enough detonators for testing and building the bombs.

After the war

After the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leaders praised the work done on the Camel Project. They thanked everyone for helping create a new kind of weapon.

Production moved to Salt Wells. New methods were created to make the materials better. Over time, better buildings were constructed, including housing and a school. The plant helped prepare workers for bigger manufacturing projects before it closed in 1954.