Exhaustive tests precede debut of nuclear reactor in Alaska

Alaska´s first nuclear power plant, which will supply heat and electricity to the subarctic U.S. Army Post at Fort Greely, recently went critical. To ensure safe operation, before the reactor was loaded with uranium fuel, the plant was subjected to thorough testing for more than a year. Forty-two tests were made in preparation for the plant´s various systems functioning together in converting the energy yielded by fission to usable power.