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A 24 July message from Starbird to Bradbury notes, in connection with currenu
fen ee.
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discussion of a possible decoupling shot, DMA needs an estimate of the accuracy of NP
the yield of the low yield MARK 7.
A 2h July 59 message from Starbird to Hertford, Teller, Bradbury, and Rodenhauser
etreeene te
(Air Force) says "the Chairman desires that the AEC go ahead witn plans on an
AP
accelerated beabasis to initiate studies and actions to stage a nuclear snot or
shotsunderground to check on decoupling.
It is recognized that such a program,
if it is to be worthwhile, cannot be adequately completed by January 1, 1950.
.
However, it is believed that by making all necessary funds available and expé@diting
this program to the utmost that at least one decoupled nuclear event together with
an associated closely tamped nuclear event can be staged, completed, and sufficiently
analyzed so that definitive data will be available by mid 1960."
He requests that a
meeting be held in Wakhington on 3 August to lay out a technical prosram and assign
responsibilities to achieve these goals and that the following be present:
Northrup, Romney, Sanders, and others.
Latter,
A handwritten comment at the end of the
message in the LASL copy says “how come the Chairman will let this test be planned
out Starbird says “nothing doing (by 1 Nov) on one points?
Surely petting
ready
Sorfotcine. shot will be “obvious" and arouse comment."
In his letter to Wilson of the ALOO on 24 July 59, Bradbury
spells out more
specifically the funding impact on LASL with this program,
Allowing for a small
amount of overall laboratory growth and noting that there will be only a slight
reduction in the effort devoted to weapons due to the need to be ready to meet
those demands if testing is resumed, the weapons budget is shown at a Level of
about 38 million for the next two fiscal years (60.and 61) with the combination
of the reactors, Rover and thermocouple (program 4000) coming to about 25 1/2
million in 60 and 36.6 million in 61.
He notes that this is LASL's planning
position whereas he realizes that there are already FY 60 problems with the amount
available in DRD.
Since the total for LASL for FY 60 is 68.1 million and 79.8 for
FY 61, there is apparently an increase of roughly 10 million dollars in the
reactors, Rover, and thermocouple for 60 and about 21 million for 61 as compared
rer
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