SECTION 4
U.S. NUCLEAR TESTING FROM
PROJECT TRINITY TO THE PLOWSHARE PROGRAM

The United States conducted Project TRINITY, the world’s first nuclear
detonation, in 1945.

From 1946 to 1963, when the limited nuclear test ban

treaty was signed, the U.S. conducted 18 atmospheric nuclear test series,
identified below as operations, and a program of testing called PLOWSHARE.
addition, the U.S. staged safety experiments to determine the weapons’
susceptibility to fission due to accidents in storage and transport.
chapter provides historical summaries of the tests, listed below in the order
in which they occurred and are addressed:
Project TRINITY, 1945 (CONUS)
Operation CROSSROADS, 1946 (Oceanic)
Operation SANDSTONE, 1948 (Oceanic)
Operation RANGER, 1951 (CONUS)
Operation GREENHOUSE, 1951 (Oceanic)
Operation BUSTER-JANGLE, 1951 (CONUS)
Operation TUMBLER-SNAPPER, 1952 (CONUS)
Operation IVY, 1952 (Oceanic)

.

Operation UPSHOT-KNOTHOLE, 1953 (CONUS)
Operation CASTLE, 1954 (Oceanic)
Operation TEAPOT, 1955 (CONUS)
Operation WIGWAM, 1955 (Oceanic)
Operation REDWING, 1956 (Oceanic)
Operation PLUMBBOB, 1957 (CONUS)
Operation HARDTACK I, 1958 (Oceanic)
Operation ARGUS, 1958 (Oceanic)
Operation HARDTACK II, 1958 (CONUS)
Safety Experiments, 1955-1958 (CONUS)
Operation DOMINIC I, 1962 (Oceanic)
Operation DOMINIC II, 1962 (CONUS)
PLOWSHARE Program, 1961-1962 (CONUS).

66

Select target paragraph3