Operation Argus
Operation Argus | |
---|---|
Information | |
Country | United States |
Test site | South Atlantic Ocean |
Period | 1958 |
Number of tests | 3 |
Test type | space rocket (> 80 km) |
Max. yield | 1.7 kilotonnes of TNT (7.1 TJ) |
Test series chronology | |
Operation Argus was a series of United States low-yield, high-altitude
The tests were to study the Christofilos effect, which suggested it was possible to defend against Soviet nuclear missiles by exploding a small number of nuclear bombs high over the South Pacific. This would create a disk of electrons over the United States that would overload the electronics on the Soviet warheads as they descended. It was also possible to use the effect to blind Soviet radars, meaning that any Soviet missile-based ABM system would be unable to attack the US counterstrike.
The tests demonstrated that the effect did occur, but that it dissipated too rapidly to be very effective. Papers concerning the topic were published the next year, emphasizing the events as purely scientific endeavors.
Objectives
The tests were proposed by
Argus was implemented rapidly after inception due to forthcoming bans on atmospheric and exoatmospheric testing in October 1958.[1] Consequently, the tests were performed within a mere half-year of conception (whereas "normal" testing took one to two years).[5] Because nuclear testing during this time was arguably a violation of the rules, the military borrowed International Geophysical Year equipment to disguise the nuclear tests.[1]
- Two missiles, with warheads 136–227 kg to be launched within one month of each other, originating from a single site.
- The missiles were to be detonated at altitudes of 200–1,000 miles (320–1,610 km), and also at 2,000–4,000 miles (3,200–6,400 km). Both detonations should occur near the geomagnetic equator.
- Satellites were to be placed in equatorial (up to 30°) and polar (up to 70°) orbits, with radio noise. Measurements were to be taken before the shots to determine a baseline, as well as during and after the events.
- Sounding rockets, launched from appropriate ground locations, were to carry the same instrumentation as the satellites, except for radio noise. Ground stations to be used to study effects on radio astronomy and radar probing as well as auroral measurements.
Originally Argus was designated Hardtack-Argus, and later Floral. For reasons of security, both names were disused in favor of the independent name Argus.
Funding was provided by the
Task Force 88
The United States Navy Task Force 88 (or TF-88), was formed 28 April 1958. TF-88 was organized solely to conduct Operation Argus. Once Argus was completed, the task force was dissolved, and its records dispersed. Some of these records have been destroyed or lost during the time period intervening. Of particular note among the missing documents were the film records (which recorded radiation levels during the Argus tests). This has proved contentious due to the greater-than-normal number of leukemia claims among TF-88 participants to the Veterans Administration. Because of this, it has been difficult to resolve to how much radiation the participants were exposed.
USS Norton Sound
USS Albemarle
USS Tarawa
USS Warrington
Task Group 88.3
USS Neosho refueled task force ships during the operation. It was also outfitted with Air Force MSQ-1A radar and communication vans. Neosho also served as the flagship for TG 88.3, the Mobile Logistics Group, which consisted of Neosho, USS Salamonie (AO-26), and assigned destroyers.
Satellite tracking
Two satellite launches were attempted in order to obtain data from these high-altitude tests.
There were many tracking systems used by the task force along with these satellites along with many organizations that helped track these missiles. "These included the
Preparation
To prepare for the launch of the ARGUS missiles, many tests and preparations were performed. As the east coast units of TF 88 were heading towards the South Atlantic, they participated with countdown, launch, and missile- tracking drills using Loki/Dart high-altitude, antiaircraft rockets launched from the USS Warrington. Fourteen of these Loki launches were conducted from 12 to 22 August. These tests were performed to test equipment and procedures, and to train personnel in specialized assignments. Some of these assignments necessary for the ARGUS missile launchings were "stationing of ships, MSQ-1A radar tracking by the USS Neosho and the USS Tarawa, communications, positioning of sky-camera S2F aircraft, and area surveillance S2F aircraft."[2]
Tests
About 1800 km southwest of
Coordinated measurement programs involving satellite, rocket, aircraft, and surface stations were employed by the
The Argus explosions created artificial electron belts resulting from the β-decay of fission fragments. These lasted for several weeks. Such radiation belts affect radio and radar transmissions, damage or destroy arming and fusing mechanisms of intercontinental ballistic missile warheads, and endanger crews of orbiting space vehicles. It was found after performing these tests that the explosions did in fact degrade the reception and transmission of radar signals, another proof that Christofilos was correct about the Christofilos effect.[2]
Argus proved the validity of Christofilos' theory: the establishment of an electron shell derived from neutron and β-decay of fission products and ionization of device materials in the upper atmosphere was demonstrated. It not only provided data on military considerations, but produced a "great mass" of geophysical data.
The tests were first reported journalistically by Hanson Baldwin and Walter Sullivan of The New York Times on 19 March 1959,[9][10] headlining it as the "greatest scientific experiment ever conducted". This was an unauthorized publication that caused great controversy among scientists because many of them were unaware of the presence of artificial particles in the Earth's atmosphere.[1] Approximately nine ships and 4,500 people participated with the operation. After the completion of testing, the task force returned to the United States via Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The tests were announced officially the next year, but the full results and documentation of the tests were not declassified until 30 April 1982.
List of Argus launches
Name [note 1] | Date time (UT) | Local | Location[note 3]
|
Elevation + height [note 4] | Delivery [note 5] Purpose [note 6] |
Device[note 7] | Yield[note 8] | Fallout[note 9] | References | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 27 August 1958 02:28:?? | WET (0 hrs) |
Launch from South Atlantic Ocean 38°30′S 11°30′W / 38.5°S 11.5°W, elv: 0 + 0 m (0 + 0 ft); Detonation over South Atlantic Ocean 38°30′S 11°30′W / 38.5°S 11.5°W |
N/A + 170 kilometers (110 mi) | space rocket (> 80 km), weapon effect |
W-25 | 1.7 kilotonnes of TNT (7.1 TJ)[12] | [13][14][15][16][17][18] | ||
2 | 30 August 1958 03:18:?? | WET (0 hrs) |
Launch from South Atlantic Ocean 49°30′S 8°12′W / 49.5°S 8.2°W, elv: 0 + 0 m (0 + 0 ft); Detonation over South Atlantic Ocean 49°30′S 8°12′W / 49.5°S 8.2°W |
N/A + 310 kilometers (190 mi) | space rocket (> 80 km), weapon effect |
W-25 | 1.7 kilotonnes of TNT (7.1 TJ)[12] | [13][14][15][16][17][18] | ||
3 | 6 September 1958 22:13:?? | WET (0 hrs) |
Launch from South Atlantic Ocean 48°30′S 9°42′W / 48.5°S 9.7°W, elv: 0 + 0 m (0 + 0 ft); Detonation over South Atlantic Ocean 48°30′S 9°42′W / 48.5°S 9.7°W |
N/A + 794 kilometers (493 mi) | space rocket (> 80 km), weapon effect |
W-25 | 1.7 kilotonnes of TNT (7.1 TJ)[12] | [13][14][15][16][17][18] |
- ^ The US, France and Great Britain have code-named their test events, while the USSR and China did not, and therefore have only test numbers (with some exceptions – Soviet peaceful explosions were named). Word translations into English in parentheses unless the name is a proper noun. A dash followed by a number indicates a member of a salvo event. The US also sometimes named the individual explosions in such a salvo test, which results in "name1 – 1(with name2)". If test is canceled or aborted, then the row data like date and location discloses the intended plans, where known.
- ^ To convert the UT time into standard local, add the number of hours in parentheses to the UT time; for local daylight saving time, add one additional hour. If the result is earlier than 00:00, add 24 hours and subtract 1 from the day; if it is 24:00 or later, subtract 24 hours and add 1 to the day.
- ^ Rough place name and a latitude/longitude reference; for rocket-carried tests, the launch location is specified before the detonation location, if known. Some locations are extremely accurate; others (like airdrops and space blasts) may be quite inaccurate. "~" indicates a likely pro-forma rough location, shared with other tests in that same area.
- ^ Elevation is the ground level at the point directly below the explosion relative to sea level; height is the additional distance added or subtracted by tower, balloon, shaft, tunnel, air drop or other contrivance. For rocket bursts the ground level is "N/A". In some cases it is not clear if the height is absolute or relative to ground, for example, Plumbbob/John. No number or units indicates the value is unknown, while "0" means zero. Sorting on this column is by elevation and height added together.
- ^ Atmospheric, airdrop, balloon, gun, cruise missile, rocket, surface, tower, and barge are all disallowed by the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Sealed shaft and tunnel are underground, and remained useful under the PTBT. Intentional cratering tests are borderline; they occurred under the treaty, were sometimes protested, and generally overlooked if the test was declared to be a peaceful use.
- ^ Include weapons development, weapon effects, safety test, transport safety test, war, science, joint verification and industrial/peaceful, which may be further broken down.
- ^ Designations for test items where known, "?" indicates some uncertainty about the preceding value, nicknames for particular devices in quotes. This category of information is often not officially disclosed.
- ^ Estimated energy yield in tons, kilotons, and megatons. A ton of TNT equivalent is defined as 4.184 gigajoules (1 gigacalorie).
- ^ Radioactive emission to the atmosphere aside from prompt neutrons, where known. The measured species is only iodine-131 if mentioned, otherwise it is all species. No entry means unknown, probably none if underground and "all" if not; otherwise notation for whether measured on the site only or off the site, where known, and the measured amount of radioactivity released.
List of ships involved in Operation Argus
- USS Tarawa (CVS-40)
- USS Bearss (DD-654)
- USS Warrington (DD-843)
- USS Courtney (DE-1021)
- USS Hammerberg (DE-1015)
- USS Neosho (AO-143)
- USS Salamonie (AO-26)
- USS Norton Sound (AVM-1)
- USS Albemarle (AV-5)
See also
- Hardtack Teak
- Operation Dominic I and II
- HAARP
- List of artificial radiation belts
- Aurora § Conjugate auroras
References
- ^ .
- ^ hdl:2027/uiug.30112075683737. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- PMC 222697.
- (PDF) from the original on 16 November 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
- OCLC 760071663. Archived from the original(PDF) on 30 January 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
- ^ Lawson, Cliff (2017). The Station Comes of Age: Satellites, Submarines, and Special Operations in the Final Years of the Naval Ordnance Test Station, 1959–1967. Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division. p. 43.
- ^ Hall of Valor Project. "Arthur R. Gralla". Military Times. Archived from the original on 31 December 2018. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
- ^ U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency. DTRA Fact Sheets, "Operation Argus" Archived 7 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine. November 2006. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
- ^ Baldwin, Hanson W. (19 March 1959). "3 Atomic Devices Detonated 300 Miles Up". The New York Times. p. 1.
- ^ Sullivan, Walter (19 March 1959). "Radiation and Geomagnetic Phenomena Probed and Revealed by Test Outlined". The New York Times. p. 1.
- ^ "Time Zone Historical Database". iana.com. Archived from the original on 11 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ a b c DCI Briefing to Joint Chiefs of Staff (PDF) (Report). 30 July 1963. p. 19. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
- ^ a b c Sublette, Carey, Nuclear Weapons Archive, retrieved 6 January 2014
- ^ a b c Operation Argus, 1958 (DNA6039F), Washington, DC: Defense Nuclear Agency, Department of Defense, 1982, archived from the original on 16 November 2021, retrieved 26 November 2013
- ^ a b c Norris, Robert Standish; Cochran, Thomas B. (1 February 1994), "United States nuclear tests, July 1945 to 31 December 1992 (NWD 94-1)" (PDF), Nuclear Weapons Databook Working Paper, Washington, DC: Natural Resources Defense Council, archived from the original (PDF) on 29 October 2013, retrieved 26 October 2013
- ^ ISBN 978-0-9791915-1-0
- ^ a b c United States Nuclear Tests: July 1945 through September 1992 (PDF) (DOE/NV-209 REV15), Las Vegas, NV: Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office, 1 December 2000, archived from the original (PDF) on 12 October 2006, retrieved 18 December 2013
- ^ a b c Yang, Xiaoping; North, Robert; Romney, Carl (August 2000), CMR Nuclear Explosion Database (Revision 3), SMDC Monitoring Research
Further reading
- Chun, Lt. Col. Clayton K. S. Shooting down a "Star": Program 437, the US Nuclear ASAT System and Present-Day Copycat Killers. College of Aerospace Doctrine Research and Education. April 2000, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.
External links
- The short film Operation ARGUS, Report of Chief, AFSWP to ARPA is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive.