prepared after the operation. For historical and report purposes, approxi3500 black and white still negatives were exposed during the operation.
Very High Altitude Carrier Systems
Program 9 also provided support for the three high altitude detonations
on Hardtack; Yucca (Eniwetok-Bikini area,
burst height about 90,000
ft), Teak(Johnston Island,
burst height bout 250,000 ft), and Orange
(Johnston Island,
_ burst height about 141,000 ft).
For Shot Yucca, Project 9.2a supplied the warhead, the fuzing and
arming equipment, the radio-command system, and function monitoring for the
Project 9.2b provided the carrier to deliver the device and
associated instrumentation to altitude. This was a 128-ft, 2-mil, polyethylene
balloon. Test flights from various launching sites conducted during the 18
months preceding the shot had shown that launch from an aircraft carrier,
with a deck wind velocity of nearly zero, was the most reliable method.
The USS Boxer (CVS-21) departed Bikini Atoll at 1900 on April 27, and
at 1125:05 on April 28 the balloon was launched.
system was 1295.5 lb, including a payload
The total weight of the
The latter consisted
of the device and five canisters containing instrumentation for measuring
pressures, thermal and gammaradiation, neutron flux, and electromagnetic
pulse.
The device was suspended 568 ft below the balloon and the canisters
from 750 to 3000 ft below the device.
The device was detonated at 1440 on
April 28.
Because of command transmitter failure prior to shot time, no effects
data of significance was received from the suspended eanisters; however,
participating aircraft did obtain data for determining energy partition and
extending scaling laws to include low yield detonations up to 100,000 ft.
For shots Teak and Orange, Project 9.3a was assigned the task of
readying and firing the two Redstone missiles, each equipped with.
Each missile was also equipped with four instrumented pods
mounted on the surface of the thrust unit; these were explosively expelled
during the powered phase of the trajectory so as to be in pre-determined
positions at burst times. The Redstone missiles were adapted specifically
for these shots, and several flight tests of the modifications had been conducted.
On shot Teak, the burst did not occur where intended because of failure of the missile to program. From preliminary data, a vertical trajectory
was assumed. Lift-off was at 2347:14.99 and burst occurred at 2350:05.597
LST on July 31.
On shot Orange, the missile programmed about as planned. Lift-off
was at 2327:34.498, and burst occurred at 2330:08.607 LST on August 11.
On both shots, all except necessary key personnel were evacuated to
ships during the morning and afternoon of shot day. Indications of missile
performance were provided the Missile Flight Safety Officer, as well as
means of taking corrective action in the event of malfunction, {.e., command
destruction of the fuel tanks and, in the case of Orange, a means of preventing arming of the warhead.
Quince and Fig Results (Programs 1,2, and 8)
The Quince event, planned as a
ground surface burst, was
37