Desertron

 

As World War II concluded, the world entered the Atomic Age. European scientists proposed to form a fantastic, new physics laboratory that would delve deeper into the mysteries of the atom. They formed the European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, Switzerland.

At CERN, many complex and expensive machines were engineered. The Synchrocyclotron (SC) was constructed in the late 1950s and was the first accelerator. Soon after, the Proton Synchrotron (PS) was built. These accelerators were designed to probe into the nature of the atom. New developments in the 1960s promised even greater discoveries. They would enhance the Proton Synchrotron with two Interconnected Storage Rings (ISR) which would allow two proton beams to build up and then collide.

In 1976, the first of these giant underground rings at CERN were completed. They had a circumference that measured 27 km or 17 miles, and they were called the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS). 

Fearing they would be left behind; the American government sprang into action. Their goal was to build a larger and better underground collider ring. Throughout the late 1970s and into the 1980s, proposals were made, and plans were drafted. President Reagan approved the plan in 1987. The Superconducting Super Collider (SSC), colloquially called Project Desertron, was born. This behemoth would dwarf CERN’s colliders, having a circumference of 51 miles. It was constructed near Waxahachie, Texas. 

The general belief is that the construction of the Desertron ended during the Cold War. The United States government has disavowed all knowledge of this project.