Project 58/58A
| Project 58 | |
|---|---|
 Coulomb-C detonation | |
| Information | |
| Country |  United States |
| Test site | Nevada National Security Site |
| Period | 1957–1958 |
| Number of tests | 4 |
| Test type | Underground / Surface |
| Max. yield | 500 tons of TNT (2,100 GJ) |
| Test chronology | |
Project 58 and 58A was a series of four nuclear tests conducted by the United States in Area 3 and Area 12 of the Nevada National Security Site in 1957/1958.[1]
All tests were one-point safety tests.[2] They were intended to "freeze" device designs prior to full-scale tests at Hardtack. No significant yield was expected from either, but the second, Coulomb-C, a surface test conducted on December 9, produced an unanticipated yield of 500 tons. Shortly after detonation, fallout readings of fifty roentgens per hour were recorded on the Mercury Highway, and, as the cloud moved toward the southwest, personnel at Jackass Flats involved in construction for future nuclear rocket testing were forced to take cover. Eventually, the cloud reached the Los Angeles area where very low readings briefly caused some public concern.[3]
Tests
| Name | Date | Yield | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pascal-C | 6 December 1957 | Slight | Unstemmed hole, radioactivity not detected off site |
| Coulomb-C | 9 December 1957 | 500 t | |
| Venus | 22 February 1958 | Less than 1 t | No radioactive release detected |
| Uranus | 14 March 1958 | Less than 1 ton | No radioactive release detected |
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Department of Energy.
References
- ^ U.S. Department of Energy / Nevada Operations Office, United States Nuclear Tests - July 1945 through September 1992, December 2000, DOE/NV-209 Rev 15
- ^ "Projects 57, 58, and 58A". The Nuclear Weapon Archive.
- ^ U.S. Department of Energy, Battlefield of the Cold War, The Nevada Test Site, Volume 1, Atmospheric Nuclear Weapons Testing, 1951-1963, DOE/MA-0003