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Jet29

is available,

16 January 1957

We had decided to carvy on this feasibility study in

the following order: first, how do you gain access te the atoll in
the besinnine to stage an operation; secondiy, what sort of firing do
you do there and with what sort of instrumentation, and thirc. the ques=

tion of airstrip and semi-permanent camp facilities versus no sirstrip
ani no camp,
We accepted from tae begining that the best contept would be ons

of renote diagnostics and remote firing of devices from a shi.

Barge

ficzing sites would be selected in the nerthern end of the lagoon in
th: most strategic locations to prodrce a better anchorage.

The first

shot would be fired to give a break-throush in the reef and later shots
world be stepped in to improve the archorage.

The Task Force and the

Navy supplied us with Hydrographic Office survey work-sheets and pictures.
Se:-iop¢ has looked into the permanence of the sand islands, if the reef
is breached, and the exchange of water in the Lagoon tc determine the
fexsibility of setting off one shot <end then going back in five davs to
s2. another one just off the eige of that crater,

Nothing is mow: about

the: currents and we felt that this was pertinent information and wanted to
stirt a marine survey.

Thayor's program of deep-water shots in WARDTACK

involves sending two vessels out to the Forward Area to make some soundings,

50 we talked to the Task rorce about including five Scripps people in the

Second ons of these two trips, but the necessary money was not made avail-~able,

Gaelen and I put the quastion to the AEC and apparently the feeling

wae that we should have been working with the AEC all the time,

So the

way the thing stands now, I think we can go ahead and write this feasiq

bility study leaving out two of the most important answers; first, how

C.ry

socn can you get back in thére after the first shot and secondly, the fe;

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