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Project Argus
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
Explosion | Locale | Date | Yield | Altitude |
Starfish | Johnston Island | July, 9 1962 | 1.4KT | 400KM |
SOVIET NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS IN SPACE
Explosion | Locale | Date | Yield | Altitude |
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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