--- description: The Atomic Energy Commission announced this week that it had picked shell-blasted Eniwetok atoll, just west of Bikini in the Marshall Islands chain, as its Pacific proving ground for atomic weapons... title: THE ADMINISTRATION: Testing image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [U.S.](/section/us/) # THE ADMINISTRATION: Testing by [TIME](/author/time/) Dec 8, 1947 5:00 AM CUT by [TIME](/author/time/) Dec 8, 1947 5:00 AM CUT The Atomic Energy Commission announced this week that it had picked shell-blasted Eniwetok atoll, just west of Bikini in the Marshall Islands chain, as its Pacific proving ground for atomic weapons (TIME, Aug. 4). It was a logical choice. Eniwetok is big enough (approximately 450 square miles of islets and lagoon) for more extensive experiments than the Bikini tests. It is so situated that prevailing winds will carry radioactive particles harmlessly out over open seas. Construction of houses, utilities, protective shelters and observation posts is already under way. THE ADMINISTRATION: Testing ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/archive/6867216/the-administration-testing/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/archive/6867216/the-administration-testing/"},"headline":"THE ADMINISTRATION: Testing","datePublished":"1947-12-08T05:00:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-13T20:11:31.113Z","description":"The Atomic Energy Commission announced this week that it had picked shell-blasted Eniwetok atoll, just west of Bikini in the Marshall Islands chain, as its Pacific proving ground for atomic weapons...","url":"https://time.com/archive/6867216/the-administration-testing/","keywords":[],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME","url":"https://time.com/author/time/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/archive/6867216/the-administration-testing/","name":"THE ADMINISTRATION: Testing"}}]}] ```