INL celebrates 50th anniversary of Advanced Test Reactor

On Thursday, community members gathered at the Advanced Test Reactor site in Idaho for the 50th anniversary of the Advanced Test Reactor or ATR. Speakers talked about the value of the reactor and would it means to Idaho and even the world.

“We make Cobalt-60 for cancer treatments and gamma treatments. We have so many different programs coming through the Advanced Test Reactor, we are so incredibly busy,” commented Sean O’Kelly, the ATR Associate Lab Director.

And while the chief designer of the ATR, Deslone de Boisblanc passed away, his adult children spoke at the event. They reflected on what it was like to grow up with the inventor of the ATR and how proud they were of him.

“I was absolutely overwhelmed and touched and my father would have been over the moon to be here,” said Boisblanc’s daughter, Celeste de Boisblanc.

“When I was a kid there was a telivision show called Jonny Quest and every kid wanted to be Jonny Quest because his dad was a cool scientist who traveled all over the world and worked in secret projects and my dad was a scientist who traveled all over the world and was brilliant and worked on secret projects so that gave me a cool factor with my peers,” reflected Boisblanc’s son, Denis de Boisblanc.

The ATR associate director said while the 50th anniversary is a significant milestone, they plan on using the reactor for many years to come.

“We plan to run the ATR for decades so this is just a milestone on the longer future,” added O’Kelly.