IV

F-8) pilots,

These pilots were to arrive at Kirtland Air Force Base on

2 February 1953 to begin training and were to be put on temporary duty
with the group.”

- In December 1952, Colonel Karl H. Houghton, Human Factors Branch,
Research and Development Division, Deputy for Operations, Lieutenant

Colonel Fackler, Plans and Operations Division of the 925th Test Group
(Atomic), and Dr. Plank of Los Alamos met over the sampling problems
expected for Operation UPSHOT/KNOTHOLE.

The length of exposure of the

samples to be gathered from the nuclear clouds was determined by the use
these samples would receive by the various laboratories,

The Atoanic

Energy Commission's Biological-Medical Division declared that 3.9 roentgens

accumlated exposure was the limit for any individual during the test.
Therefore, the radiation exposure a pilot could absorb for each shot was
figured very closely,

There were ten shots scheduled and to gather

required samples from the first five shots, pilots would be exposed
to a total of 2.9 roentgens.

For the samples needed from the second five

shots, the pilots would have to take a total radiation dosage of 2.9

roentgens.

But an eleventh shot was added to the series and this dosage

increased to 3.1 roentgens.

These figures were forradiation received

while actually in the cloud and did not include radiation absorbed while
near the eldtid or while flying the sampler.

These factors convinced the

two colonels and Dr. Plank that two groups of pilots were necessary for
the program;

one group to sample each half of the test,

Also, to stay

within the limits of the allowable dosage, all secondary sources of
radiation had to be reduced as mch as possible,

81
APHLIHG

One of the ways for doing

SWEH-2-003)

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