A 21 November letter from the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense Johnson
to ChairmanSeaborg presents the DoD proposal for the first atmospheric test
operations to be conducted beginning in about March and lasting for about
3 months. Johnson notes that these tests were included in the list submitted
to the President on October 9th and their preparation was approved on October
lith.
Further he notes that the test list submitted previously would require
about two years to do and therefore the tests listed in this letter are those
that it is felt could be done within the smaller window with the others being
delayed to a follow-on series. The tests include(one)a 1 to 2 kiloton land
surface or near surface test in Nevada to address the EMP effects. (Two)
a 10 kileton subsurface asroc test probably in the Atlantic ocean (3)At least
“af
i
(a) a 2 megaton detonation at
one and not more than two of the following:
feet to investigate vulnerability of RV's and blackout
approximately
effects en radio and radar.
(b) a one-quarter megaton detonation at about
(c) a
feet to determine ICBM RV vulnerability and other effects.
on
effects
at
look
to
altitude
feet
million
1.3
at
two megaton detonation
to
test
vulverability
ICBM
full-scale
a
(d)
radars.
communications and
verify the data from the above tests, to investigate kill mechanisms and RV
vulnerability and to proof test the ABM capability against an ICBM. (4) the
Polaris and Atlas tests earlier proposed are still considered to be desirable.
As to the decision on an overseas. site Johnson states the following:
"In view of the present position of the British Government with the respect
to the use of Christmas Island, in the interests of getting on with the
operations I recommend that we plan on the time scale that we are working on
to conduct all operations out of Johnston Island and over the open sea.
In the meantime, let us continue to explore with the British the possibility
of obtaining the use of Christmas Island."
Here is a memo from Chuck Gilbert to Carothers on November 61, covering his visit
to Sandia on 21 November and discussions with Sandia personnel on the high altitude Z P
events that were possible and the ways in which Livermore might support these tests.
The following shots were listed as propused by the following asencies:
Air Force- a
25 kilometer and a 1000 kilometer event; DOD-a 50 <iiometer, 115 kilometer,
and hoo
kilometer event (the three FISHBOWL events); and LASL~-a 150 or 1000 kilometer event.
itn was stated that LASL desires to do one space shot in order to prepare itself for
outer space testing and no elaboration of the Air Force shots is given.
He discusses
Sandia's plans for procuring and installing launchers at Johnston} Island (four),
Midway (six), Palmyra (six), and Kauai (twelve).
The preliminary feelings are that
Livermore would want to support the two highest events with the launch of six rockets
for each event, two from Johnstone and four from Kauai.
Sandia proposes the Thor booster with a MARK II nose cone.
Also, Gilbert states that