NASASpaceFlight.com Forum
General Discussion => Historical Spaceflight => Topic started by: Hoonte on 12/04/2017 10:31 am
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Hi
Anyone knows what the first (if there was any) full ballistic missile test was with an active nuclear device that detonated on or near the earth's surface?
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Dominic Frigate Bird - 6 May, 1962.
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Frigate Bird was the first and only American full-up nuclear missile test, but the Soviets were way ahead with
Joe 8
14 September 1954
Troitsk Maneuver Area
52-38-32N 52-48-33E
R-5A missile, ~40kt warhead
Look at this site on Google Earth and you can still see the trenches where the unfortunate Red Army conscripts were forced to serve as guinea pigs. For some reason the trees haven't grown back...
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Dominic Frigate Bird - 6 May, 1962.
That was an SLBM
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Frigate Bird was the first and only American full-up nuclear missile test, but the Soviets were way ahead with
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not true.
Operation Fishbowl
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The original post was asking about full tests with bursts "...on or near the earth's surface."
This would exclude the Hardtack and Fishbowl tests, which were (as all here know) mid-to-high altitude air bursts.
Edited: To clarify.
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The original post was asking about full tests with bursts "...on or near the earth's surface."
This would exclude the Hardtack and Fishbowl tests, which were (as all here know) mid-to-high altitude air bursts.
Edited: To clarify.
Yes.. indeed surface or near surface.
So there has been only 1 test ever of this. Makes you wonder if that system would operate in a real war situation (not the lab enviroment the first test was done)
I hope it will never be used!
Where/was there any Soviet test(s) like this?
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nuclear_weapons_tests#Tests_of_live_warheads_on_rockets