SUBJECT: PROJECT ARGUS AND THE RAINBOW BOMBS FILE: UFO2657
PROJECT ARGUS and the RAINBOW BOMBS
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR DETONATIONS IN SPACE
Around 1958, the significant implications of the Earth's magnetic
fields and radiation belts for future military activities were what
drew the attention of government physicists. Nicholas Christofilos, a
physicist working at the University of California's Livermore Radiation
Laboratory, developed techniques to harness and control the energy
released in hydorgen fusion reactions. Christofilos used magnetic
confinment fields. When the Soviets launched Sputnik I, Christofilos
decided that the earth's magnetic field could be used to contain an
artificial band of relativistic electrons. He speculated that this
artificial radiation belt could be made intense enough to destroy
satellites in orbit. The belt would produce worldwide radio noise on
the HF and VHF radio bands that carried the bulk of military
communications. By accurately calculating the site for an explosion of
a nuclear device, it's effects could be made to occur over a specific
target area. Christofilos urged that the government test his postulates
by exploding a nuclear device in space. Christofilos superiors at
Livermore placed his papers under top security control and advised the
President's Science Advisory group of the matter. The resulting program
became Project Argus.
PROJECT ARGUS TESTS
Explosion Locale Date Yield Altitude
---------------------------------------------------------------
Argus I South Atlantic Aug 27, 1958 1KT 200KM
Argus II South Atlantic Aug 30, 1958 1KT 250KM
Argus III South Atlantic Sept 6, 1958 1KT 500KM
POST-ARGUS TESTING ACTIONS
--------------------------
Starfish Johnston Island July, 9 1962 1.4KT 400KM
SOVIET NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS IN SPACE
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USSR Siberia Oct 22, 1962 200KT UNK
USSR Siberia Oct 28, 1962 800KT UNK
USSR Siberia Nov 1, 1962 1+MT UNK
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