Starfish Prime caused an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) that was far larger than expected, so much larger that it drove much of the instrumentation off scale, causing great difficulty in getting accurate measurements. Parts of the missile and some radioactive contamination fell upon Johnston Atoll and nearby Sand Island and the surrounding ocean. The missile was between 30,000 and 35,000 feet (9,100 and 10,700 m) in altitude when it was destroyed. The range safety officer ordered the destruction of the missile and warhead. The Thor missile flew a normal trajectory for 59 seconds then the rocket engine stopped, and the missile began to break apart. The initial Starfish launch attempt on June 20 was also aborted in flight, this time due to failure of the Thor launch vehicle. The Starfish test was originally planned as the second in the Fishbowl series, but the first launch ( Bluegill) was lost by the radar tracking equipment and had to be destroyed in flight. Thus there is a strong need, not only for better instrumentation, but for further tests covering a range of altitudes and yields. These models are too uncertain to permit extrapolation to other altitudes and yields with any confidence. Despite thorough studies of the meager data, present models of these bursts are sketchy and tentative. Previous high-altitude nuclear tests: YUCCA, TEAK, and ORANGE, plus the three ARGUS shots were poorly instrumented and hastily executed. Government Project Officer's Interim Report on the Starfish Prime project: In 1958, the United States had completed six high-altitude nuclear tests that produced many unexpected results and raised many new questions. The Starfish test was one of five high-altitude tests grouped together as Operation Fishbowl within the larger Operation Dominic, a series of tests in 1962 begun in response to the Soviet announcement on August 30, 1961, that they would end a three-year moratorium on testing.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |