Project NEPA Origins Linked to Military and Atomic Energy Collaboration
Project NEPA originated from a collaboration between Army Air Force General H. H. Arnold and physicist Theodore von Kármán, leading to significant funding increases and multiple relocations from 1946 to 1951. Initially supported by military leaders, control of the project shifted to the Atomic Energy Commission in 1947, while military oversight continued through the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project, underscoring the military's ongoing influence in nuclear aircraft development.
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Project NEPA began after a collaboration between Army Air Force General H. H. Arnold and physicist Theodore von Kármán, who formed a Scientific Advisory Group to explore advanced technologies.
The project gained traction following a letter of intent from General Spaatz and Maj. Gen. Leslie Groves on May 28, 1946, which committed $200,000 in initial funding.
By 1951, funding increased from $1.3 million in 1946 to $8.3 million. The project relocated several times, starting in New York City, then moving to the AEC Administrative Building in Oak Ridge, and finally to the S-50 Area near the K-25 Power Plant.
Control of NEPA transitioned to the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) in February 1947, although military oversight remained with General Groves through the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project, which began on January 29, 1947. This arrangement highlighted the continuing military influence over nuclear aircraft development.
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