17 1955 Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion The three Heat Transfer Experiments were conducted as part of the Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion (ANP) program, the U.S. Air Force’s attempt to develop a nuclear-powered jet aircraft.The program involved ground tests — the Heat Transfer Reactor Experiments. The first, HTRE-1, produced 20 megawatts of heat energy on a test stand at Test Area North’s Initial Engine Test Facility. HTRE-2 advanced the technology of high-heat ceramic reactor fuels, and HTRE-3 experiments eventually ran two turbojet engines at a time at 2,000 degrees F. A hangar was built and runway plans drafted, yet numerous safety concerns surrounded the project. On March 28, 1961, President John F. Kennedy canceled the ANP program, bringing work to an abrupt and permanent end. “ This was during the Cold War. People were serious.” — Carl Gamertsfelder, General Electric