The Trinity Site, located in New Mexico, United States, holds a significant place in the history of nuclear technology. It was here that the first detonation of a nuclear weapon took place, conducted by the United States Army at 5:29 a.m. MWT on July 16, 1945, as part of the Manhattan Project. The test involved an implosion-design plutonium bomb, which was the same design as the Fat Man bomb later detonated over Nagasaki, Japan, on August 9, 1945. The Trinity bomb released the explosive energy equivalent to 25 kilotons of TNT. Today, the site is a National Historic Landmark and includes the McDonald ranch house, where the plutonium core was assembled. Visits to the site are sponsored by White Sands Missile Range in April and October.
You can also visit the site on Microsoft Flight Simulator. We departed from the nearby military airfield Stallion (95E) and flew only 12nm heading 128 until we reached the site. We used the DHC Chipmunk which, interestingly, would have the first prototype flight only months after the first bomb was tested.
Although there aren’t many details present for the site in MSFS, you can clearly identify it. The Trinity Site Obelisk, however, is missing in sim.
After the short visit we headed to the nearby Spaceport America (9NM9). This Spaceport can only be fully experienced with UK2000’s scenery. This airfield is designed specifically for both vertical and horizontal lunch space vehicles and was opened in 2011. The Spaceport is also home to many famous companies including Virgin Galactic and it’s really worth the visit.
