Operation Argus
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Nuclear test Operation Argus
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 Launch of an X-17 missile from the USS Norton Sound (AVM-1) as part of Operation Argus |
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| information | |
| nation |
 United States
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| Test location | South Atlantic |
| Period | August - September 1958 |
| Number of tests | 3 |
| Test type | Altitude tests |
| Weapon type | fission |
| Max. Explosive force | 1.5 kT |
| navigation | |
| Previous test | Operation hardtack |
| Next test | Operation nougat |
Operation Argus was a series of three atomic bomb tests conducted in 1958 at altitudes of 200 to 540 km.
In August and September 1958, US Navy Task Force 88 carried out three secret atomic bomb tests at high altitudes (up to 540 km) in the South Atlantic near Gough Island on behalf of the Defense Nuclear Agency . The operation was coordinated and financed by the “Advanced Research Projects Agency” (ARPA), in cooperation with the “Armed Forces Special Weapons Project” (AFSWP), the “Army Ballistic Missile Agency” (ABMW) and the “Air Force Special Weapons” Center "(AFSWC). The cost of the entire project was $ 9 million.
Argus was one of a series of tests conducted between 1958 and 1962 by the US ( Hardtack , Argus, and Dominic I / Fishbowl ) and the USSR ( Project K ). In these tests, more than a dozen atomic bombs were detonated in the earth's atmosphere at altitudes between 21 and 540 km. As part of the Argus project, a total of three small bombs (Argus I to III) were shot down from the USS Norton Sound (AVM-1) and detonated at heights between 200 and 500 km.
The Argus project was unique among US atmospheric nuclear tests in several ways:
- It was the fastest surgery planned with just five months of preparation.
- It was the first ship-based launch of a ballistic missile with a nuclear warhead.
- It was the only US atmospheric nuclear test in the Atlantic.
- Argus was not used to test weapon design, but was intended to support a scientific theory.
Targets of Argus
The aim was to study the effect of electromagnetic pulse (EMP) on radio and radar . In addition, the understanding of the earth's electromagnetic field and the behavior of the charged particles in it should be improved. The Argus tests go back to Nicholas Christofilos . Christofilos worked at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory and wanted to confirm his theory, which assumed that atomic bomb explosions at high altitudes create a radiation belt in the higher regions of the earth's atmosphere. These belts should have an effect similar to the Van Allen belt . Such radiation belts could be of tactical use in the event of war. Even during earlier tests of the Hardtack series in the summer of 1958, radio communication disruptions had become apparent after the explosion (Hardtack TEAK), even if this was not due to a radiation belt.
The project objectives developed by the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project (AFSWP) were as follows:
- Two missiles with warheads weighing between 136 and 227 kg were to be launched from one location within a month.
- The start with the higher priority should be carried out between 322 and 1,609 km altitude in the vicinity of 45 ° geomagnetic latitude. The less important start was to be made between 3,219 and 6,437 km altitude near the geomagnetic equator.
- Satellites with a payload of around 45 kg should be placed in equatorial (up to 30 °) and polar orbits (up to 70 °) with a perigee of at least 322 km and an apogee of at least 2,897 km.
- The satellite instruments should measure the electron density over time (with the definition of energy). You should bring a magnetometer and instruments to measure radio noise. They should also collect data both before the start and on the phenomena that occur after the start.
- The same measurements should be made by instruments on board missiles.
- This target, added later, was the launch of small satellites into polar orbit from naval aviation aircraft.
The satellite measurements were grouped under the code name Project 7.1 and carried out by the Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA). Project 7.2 " Jason " included measurements from rockets. These were launched from the NACA- operated Pilotless Aircraft Research Station on Wallops Island , Virginia (code name Whiskey), Patrick Air Force Base in Cape Canaveral , Florida (code name Papa) and Ramey Air Force Base on Puerto Rico (code name Romeo) . Project 7.3 “Midas” comprised ground measurements both on land and on board the participating ships USS Albermale , USS Tarawa and USS Norton Sound .
Task Force 88
US Navy Task Force 88 was established on April 28, 1958. She was solely entrusted with carrying out the Argus tests. With the completion of the project on September 6th, it was dissolved.
The USS Norton Sound served as the launch ship for the deployed three-stage ballistic X-17A missiles. At the same time, it served the crews as a test site, as the X-17A was unknown to those involved. The training included assembling and repairing dummies and took place on board. Also on board was a 27 MHz COZI radar operated by the Air Force Cambridge Research Center, which was used to monitor the effects of the tests.
The USS Albermarle (AV-5) , also equipped with a COZI radar, was not officially part of Task Force 88 for safety reasons. It was cruising near the Azores for support.
The anti-submarine carrier USS Tarawa (CVS-40) served as the command center for the entire operation. An Air Force MSQ-1A radar and other missile tracking devices were on board. In addition, 19 Grumman S-2 Fs from the VS-32 “Maulers” were on board to collect scientific data, take photos and carry out observation missions during take-offs. The eight Sikorsky HSS-1 Seabat helicopters of the HS-5 "Nightdipper" were used to transport goods and people within Task Force 88.
The destroyers USS Warrington (DD-843) and USS Bearss (DD-654) , together with the destroyer escorts USS Hammerberg (DE-1015) and USS Courtney (DE-1021) , remained as bad weather replacements 463 km west of the task force. They provided air protection for the USS Tarawa during flight operations and performed typical destroyer tasks (e.g. SAR).
The tanker USS Neosho (AO-143) refueled the task force ships during the operation. An MSQ-1A radar was installed on the helicopter platform and was used to support the trajectory tracking of the tests.
The tanker USS Salamonie (AO-26) returned to the United States upon arrival at Task Force 88 and did not participate in any of the three launches.
The three Argus starts
The Argus tests took place in the southern Atlantic because the X-17A missile used in the equatorial Pacific launch area (where some of the hard-tack tests took place) could not transport the bombs to sufficient heights. An ignition near the pole enabled the detonations at geomagnetically greater heights.
The chosen location is to the east of what is known as the South Atlantic Anomaly , a dent in the Earth's magnetic field . In this dent, the earth's magnetic field extends particularly far to the earth. Since the calculated beta particles would drift eastwards, according to calculations, they could migrate around the earth before they would collide with air particles in the South Atlantic anomaly, lose their energy and thus be lost to the experiment. In addition, the region is outside the normal shipping routes. A fact that was beneficial to the security and secrecy of the operation.
| bomb | Date / Time ( GMT ) | place | Explosion height |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argus I | August 27, 1958 2:28 am | 38.5 ° S, 11.5 ° W | 200 km |
| Argus II | August 30, 1958 3:18 pm | 49.5 ° S, 8.2 ° W | 240 km |
| Argus III | September 6, 1958 10:13 p.m. | 49.5 ° S, 9.7 ° W | 540 km |
All three bombs achieved an explosive force of around 1.5 kT each .
Nine ships and around 4,500 people were involved in the tests.
