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UNITED STATES
ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION
WASHINGTON 25, D.C,
April 8, 1958
Dear Mr. Durham:
Among the shots that we have planned for the HARDT
oe are two very high altitude firings
geeaone at 250,000 feet and the other at 125,000 feet,
Both
these firings are of extreme importance to our defense programs.
They are expected to give us valuable and essential information
with respect to various effects that occur following a nuclear
detonation above the greater portion of the earth's atmosphere,
It is expected that the results of these tests will prove of
great significance in the development of our defensive capabilities
including possible defensive measures against intercontinental
Yallistic missiles,
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Since the initial conception of these tests, we have, of
course, studied exhaustively the safety aspects of their conduct,
One of these aspects concerns the distances to which the visible
light from these explosions might cause damage to the human eye,
Our first studies indicated that these distances were small
enough to be confined to our test area and therefore created no
Pm uncontrollable problem with respect to the safe conduct of the
two tests,
New theoretical calculations as to the amount of energy from
these shots that will appear in the form of visible radiation have
‘4{ncreased materially our estimate of the range at whichsome damage
might be caused to the human eye, This increased range includes
a number of the inhabited atolls of the Marshall Islands. We have
studied ways and means of controlling the conduct of these tests
s0 as to insure that the natives of these islands could ynder no
condition receive eye damage, We have, for instance, considered
the stationing of American personnel, including Trust Terei.tory
officials, on the various atolls and taking as positive measures
as possible to insure that no one was looking directly at the
detonation at the time of its occurrence.
However, it is felt
that, despite an almost unlimited expenditure of our personnel
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Energy
Histerian’s Office
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