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Drone used to map radioactive vault at former US weapons site

A drone has mapped a vault full of radioactive powder as part of a decades-long project to clean up a former weapons and nuclear energy test site in Idaho

By James Dinneen

13 December 2022

The drone pilot and other project engineers operated within a make-shift control room.

The drone pilot and other project engineers operated within a make-shift control room

Department of Energy

In late November, huddled in a freezing tent, a group of people watched a live video feed of a drone as it descended into a giant vault. There was no visible change, but once past the thick concrete ceiling, the drone was flying through hot air irradiated with the equivalent of about 500 X-rays every second. More than enough to kill a person. No problem for a drone.

The drone was conducting reconnaissance as part of a decades-long…

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