Nuclear Bomb In Space
But what would happen if we tried the same experiment with a 50 megaton bomb like the record setting tsar bomba.
Nuclear bomb in space. A thor rocket carrying a w49 thermonuclear warhead designed by los. While an atmospheric nuclear explosion has a characteristic mushroom shaped cloud high altitude and space explosions tend to manifest a spherical cloud reminiscent of other space based explosions until distorted by earth s magnetic field and the charged particles resulting from the blast can cross hemispheres to create an auroral display which has led documentary maker peter kuran to characterize these detonations as the rainbow bombs. During the cold war the us government launched a 1 4 megaton bomb into space.
Nuclear bomb in space bomb testing in the most dramatic stages of the cold war russia and the united states were testing nuclear bombs left and right and due to fears of a long range nuclear missile or a satellite delivery system for a nuclear warhead all eyes were on the skies. Here is a shot of a nuclear detonation in space via icbm intercontinental ballistic missile by the usa in 1962. Nuclear weapon effects on personnel.
It demonstrates the effects of a nuclear payload at a far distance noticeable by. During the cold war the us government launched a 1 4 megaton bomb into space. Nuclear weapon effects in space.
In fact the united states government performed such a test in 1962 after launching a 1 4 megaton nuclear bomb into space almost 400 kilometers above earth s surface. The visual effects of a high altitude or space. According to the stockholm international peace research institute sipri nine states the us russia.
Starfish prime as the test was called was the highest altitude nuclear test in history. New and improved nuclear weapons are proliferating in parallel with the race for space. Starfish prime as the test was called was the highest altitude nuclear test.
Interesting to say the least. Starfish prime was a high altitude nuclear test conducted by the united states a joint effort of the atomic energy commission aec and the defense atomic support agency it was launched from johnston atoll on july 9 1962 and was the largest nuclear test conducted in outer space and one of five conducted by the us in space. Detonating nukes in space isn t a new concept.