A Robot Built for the Nuclear Future
In the late 1950s, the U.S. military unveiled one of the most powerful machines ever built for peacetime engineering: a 77-ton robotic vehicle known as the GE Beetle. Designed to support America’s dream of a nuclear-powered bomber, this towering machine had one job—protect human operators while performing delicate tasks near intense radiation.
Its design, construction, and eventual disappearance read like a Cold War-era science fiction tale, but every detail is rooted in documented engineering history.
An Answer to a Deadly Problem
Nuclear-powered aircraft promised long-endurance bombing runs, but radiation shielding made such planes too heavy to be practical. Maintenance near exposed reactors would have killed any crew. To solve this, the Air Force commissioned General Electric to build the Beetle, a remotely operated robot with 500 horsepower and two hydraulic arms that could delicately balance an egg—or rip steel with 85,000 pounds of force.
The pilot sat inside an airtight, lead-glass-shielded cockpit. The machine moved on the chassis of an M42 Duster and was capable of resisting radiation 3,000 times stronger than what a human could endure.
Trials, Errors, and Malfunctions
Though impressive in concept, the Beetle’s performance fell short. During its public demonstrations in the early 1960s, it suffered frequent breakdowns: fluid leaks, faulty wiring, and failing components plagued the sessions. Media were only shown a portion of its mechanical problems.
Engineers reportedly joked that its 400 miles of wiring had “short circuits in the short circuits.” Still, the Beetle remained a technical milestone in radiation-resistant robotics, inspiring later technologies.
The End of the Nuclear Aircraft Dream
The U.S. abandoned the nuclear bomber program when engineers failed to solve the weight and safety challenges. President John F. Kennedy officially terminated funding after learning the project had consumed over $1 billion with little to show.
While the Beetle had no long-term mission left, it contributed to technological advances. Its manipulator arm systems influenced the development of RUM (Remote Underwater Manipulator), which later led to the DSV Alvin—the first submersible to explore the Titanic. The Beetle itself was last recorded at Area 25 (Jackass Flats) in Nevada. Its final fate is undocumented, but parts were likely salvaged and reused.
In the late 1950s, the U.S. military created a 77-ton robotic vehicle called the GE Beetle.
Designed to maintain atomic-powered aircraft, it had 500 horsepower, arms that could crush steel, and shielding strong enough to withstand 3,000 times more radiation than a human…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/eATsqBcCdI
— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) June 24, 2025