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.