Of tre fifteen rocket asses waich were objects of searca, Ceelve vere
Tecoverz3.
Thas recovery ian open ocean was aore suctessiul than the aost
Optisistic precictisas indicated ac the time the programa was pluaned.
Such
success ia recwers allows expansion of instrimentation fechnigzues which
can be uses on Sure operations of this aature.
It also prives the feasi-
bility of rad-chea sazpliang, provided seans are facnd fo sarantee penetration of the radioactive debris by the sazpler.
§.3
.
WDOS BETsESN 100,000 and 500,000 FEET ALTITUDE
5.3.1
Introduction
The ability to obtain a cloud saxple from either Teak or Orange was ¢ce~pendent upon the sampling iastriceaotation vithin the carrier and the capa~
bility of the rocset to hit the debris.
This capability of penetration, in
turn, sas dependent upon the accuracy of the Redstone in positioning the
device at its prezeternined position, che accuracy of the sa=pling rocket
in bitting its target, and the ability to prognosticate the cloud's coordinates with tine after burst.
The Latter ability requires accurate inforsation
on size, rate of rise, and lateral movement of the cloud with winds.
Initial
plannizg for Teax event called for penetration of the debris at burst plus 40
seconds and burst plus 80 seconds.
These tines, resulting fron original
estimates of the cloud size, were based on cualitative extrapolation fron
low-level burst daca
discussed in Section
5.1, indicated rescheduling of the samples so that
rocket would be over the burst at zero tise and the second roccet would pass
through the burst area 2t zero plus <0 seconds.
The first rectzet would be
approxizately +0,000 feet above anticisated burst.
The change in tining
obviated the meed for a wiod forecast on Teas, since the £0-second interval
between burse and penetration would reduce the wind influence on the cloud
to a neglizgible value.
Althoug> initial justification for a higs~altinide wird-measuring
systen eas CO Celeraine toe soverzenc vi tue fedivactive cisce from Tesk,
the wisd progras at Teak altitude was contisned for the follawM&tz reasons: