In 1958, planning for Operation TRUMPET flicluded propseed balloon shots.
Livermore
3 considering about a half a dozen whereas BASL was considering just a few.
.A memorandum from J.H. Wendell of Task
Group 7-1 st LASL on17 February 59
at to. & number of people in LASL as well as Sandia.
The subject was aerodynamic
Lloon developments and specifically systems that might be utilized for the EPG for
(ture testing.
The main source of information was H.G. Laursen of
sesently developing this capability.
N 7]
Sandia, who were
The lengthy memorandum contains
all sorts of
2tails, and enswers to specific questions about the capabilities, development
thedules, etc. for such balloons.
2
At the present program rate, the balloons
available for production about January of 1960.
evelopment and is certainly not yet a realitr.
roup of
Note
that the concept
could
is in
Note also that apparently the Task
7.1 corresponded to Group J-3 of J Division at LASL.
An 18 February message from Starbird to Bradbury and Teller states that Herbert
York (DDR & E) has just stated that the Air Moves linc poagoue.
iu stalling various
LT
fecilities to permit laboratory-t:ive investigations of high. altitude nuclear effects.
York has thus requested the AEC's assistance with the Air Force exploring ‘the possibility
of this work and perhaps performing some of it in AEC laboratories with the assistance
of certain Air Force personnel.
Starbird requests the Labs assist the Air Force in
determining the way to go and make recommendations to him.
Other correspondence on
this subject is noted to appear in 310.1 Upper Atmospheric Physics Group Files.
.Note that there is very little mention of effects of weapons tests and any
great deal of attent’on being given to this in the AEC correspondence at least
through 59 and well into 1960.