A Day in History. Telstar Brings World Closer (1962) Nuclear Vault 2026-09-20 | A Day in History. Telstar Brings World Closer (1962)
President Kennedy Visits SAC Headquarters (1962) - Silent Nuclear Vault 2022-10-20 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault Summary: Coverage of Pres John F. Kennedy's arrival and departure by VC-137C, being greeted by Gen Thomas S. Power and the president presenting plaque to the SAC Commander. Other VIP's include: Dep Secy of Defense Roswell L. Gilpatric; Presidential Aide Brig Gen Godfrey T. McHugh; Chief of Staff, Army Gen Earle G. Wheeler (USA); Lt Gen Hunter Harris, Jr., Vice Comdr SAC; and Vice Pres Lyndon B. Johnson. (Shot list to follow.) 1) Shows VC-137C taxiing to parking area, Pres Kennedy followed by Mr. Gilpatric, Gen Wheeler (USA), and Brig Gen McHugh and party being greeted by Gen Power -- Vice Pres Johnson was among VIP's present. 2) Scenes of SAC Elite Honor Guard -- Lt Gen Harris in bg saluting. 3) Pres Kennedy walking between SAC Elite Honor Guard and leaving in convertible. 4) Shows the Presidential motorcade stopping in front of SAC Operations Building and Pres Kennedy shaking hands with spectators. 5) Scenes of ceremony at side of VC-137C honoring Gen Power for his outstanding work during the Cuban Crisis -- shows color guard, Gen Power holding plaque and Pres Kennedy speaking. Fair-Good (Basic: Orig color)National Archives Identifier: 68823Local Identifier: 342-USAF-34662The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
DEW Line Story (1958) Nuclear Vault 2022-05-26 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault DEW LINE STORY by National Archives and Records AdministrationDescribes the construction along a 3,000 mile line of a series of radar sites in northern Canada and Alaska, illustrating the effective cooperation between private industry and the governments of both countries.Publication date 1958ARC Identifier 52896 / Local Identifier 306.6699.
Plowshare Nuclear Vault 2022-05-10 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault Plowshare by U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, San Francisco Operations OfficePublication date 1961 circa
Bikini Radiobiological Laboratory (1949) Nuclear Vault 2022-05-09 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault Bikini Radiobiological Laboratory, 1949 by United States. Atomic Energy CommissionPublication date 1949Produced by the University of Washington and the USAEC. For sale by Lookout Mountain Air Force Station, USAF, at $92.00 per print from master, including shipping case. This nontechnical film, for intermediate through college-level audiences, explains studies of effects of radioactivity from the 1946 atomic tests at Bikini Atoll, on plants and marine life in the area three years later."National Archives Identifier: 88124
Weapons Effects Test Grable (1953) Nuclear Vault 2022-05-02 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault Weapons Effects Test Grable by United States. Atomic Energy Commission.Publication date 1953, Upshot-Knothole, Nuclear Testing
Operation Headstart (1959) Nuclear Vault 2022-04-15 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault Air Force Film Report 33, "Operation Headstart - Airborne Alert" by U.S. Air ForceCovers activities of ground and flight crews during a three-month test conducted at Loring Air Force Base, Maine, to demonstrate conclusively that an airborne alert force can be maintained successfully.Source of original: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Motion Pictures Unit, Record Group 342The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
Power of Decision Outtakes - Silent (1958) Nuclear Vault 2022-04-14 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault Power Of Decision Outtakes For SFP 416 by Lookout Mountain Laboratory, 1352nd Photographic GroupThe appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
Broken Arrow - Response To A Nuclear Weapons Accident (1980) Nuclear Vault 2022-04-12 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault PIN 51198Broken arrow - response to a nuclear weapons accidentRelates the story of a nuclear weapons accident exercise in the Nevada Desert by the defense nuclear agency and involving all four armed services and the department of energy laboratories. Shows how the DOD/DOE forces responded to a realistically simulated crash of a mac aircraft carrying nuclear weapons -- "D" day through the final recovery phase of the 7th day.The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
Ballistic Missile Development • 1 January 1959 Nuclear Vault 2022-04-12 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault Ballistic Missile Development 1 January 1959 by Lookout Mountain Laboratory, 1352nd Photographic GroupThe appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
Military Effects Studies on Operation Castle (1954) Nuclear Vault 2022-04-08 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault Military Effects Studies on Operation CASTLE by AFSWP Publication date 1954
Project Gnome Site Prep (silent) Nuclear Vault 2022-04-07 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault GNOME Project by U.S. Atomic Energy CommissionProject Gnome was the first nuclear experiment conducted under the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), predecessor to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Plowshare Program. The Plowshare Program focused on developing nuclear devices exclusively for peaceful purposes. The intent of the Gnome experiment was to evaluate the effects of a nuclear detonation in a salt medium. Historically, Project Gnome consisted of a single detonation of a nuclear device on December 10, 1961 with the Salado Formation. Since the Gnome detonation, the AEC/DOE has conducted surface restoration, site reconnaissance, and decontamination and decommissioning activities at the site. In addition, annual groundwater sampling is performed under a long-term hydrological monitoring program begun in 1972. Coach, an experiment to be located near the Gnome project, was initially scheduled for 1963. Although construction and rehabilitation were completed for Coach, the experiment was canceled and never executed. Known collectively as Project Gnome-Coach, the site is located approximately 25 miles east of Carlsbad, New Mexico, in Eddy County, and is comprised of nearly 680 acres, of which approximately 60 acres are disturbed from the combined AEC/DOE operations.The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
USAF Participation In Operation DOMINIC (1962) Nuclear Vault 2022-04-07 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault United States Air Force (USAF) Participation in Operation Dominic by Lookout Mountain Laboratory USAFAir Force produced documentary on role of USAF in Operation Dominic nuclear tests in the Pacific. National Archives. Declassified in 2014.- ARC# 64083- USAF 342 SFP 1173The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
Operation Crossroads • ABLE and BAKER Day Tests (1948) Nuclear Vault 2022-04-06 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault Operation Crossroads by United States. Department of EnergyPublication date 1948No description at the National Archives. Castle Films produced this film for the U.S. military -- "Operation Crossroads" US Army film # MISC-1323 and US Navy film # MN 5345. Description from Armed Forces Films for Public and Television Use: "A documentary of the Able and Baker blasts of the Atomic Bomb Test at Bikini, produced by Joint Army-Navy Task Force One."National Archives Identifier: 88210
Thor The IRBM (1959) Nuclear Vault 2022-04-05 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault Thor The IRBM by Lookout Mountain Laboratory, 1352nd Photographic GroupPublication date 1959
Project GNOME (1961) Nuclear Vault 2022-04-04 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVaultProject GNOME was part of Operation Nougat, a 45-test series conducted at the Nevada Test Site from September 15, 1961 through June 30, 1962, except for the GNOME test. The 3-kiloton GNOME test was detonated 1200 feet underground in a salt bed formation on December 10, 1961, near Carlsbad, New Mexico. There were 48 subsurface experiments involved, making GNOME the most heavily instrumented seismic nuclear test in history. This testing provided valuable data for both the Plowshare and Vela Uniform Programs.GNOME was the first nuclear test in the Plowshare Program. The Plowshare Program objectives were to determine how energy produced from nuclear explosions could be used for peaceful or civilian purposes. The Vela Uniform Program studied seismic detection, identification, and location of nuclear explosions. Studies were conducted underground with ground-based instruments for detecting explosions in outer space and with established satellite-based instruments for detecting explosions in outer space.Although GNOME was a Plowshare test, the Vela Uniform objective was to determine how the signals and effects of a 3-kiloton device detonated underground in salt beds differed from the outputs of detonations of different yields in other geologic formations such as tuff and granite. Scientists also wanted to compare the seismic signals from underground tests with that of earthquakes.This video contains footage different from that shown in video number 0800028, and includes an introduction by Dr. Edward Teller, one of the few times he was captured on film. Several longrange and close-up views of surface effects from the detonation are shown as well as peoplereentering the detonation cavity approximately 6 months after the test when the underground cavity was opened to both official observers and members of the press. No other Operation Nougat footage is shown in this video.0800034 - PROJECT GNOME 1961 Color 29:13
Ballistic Missile Logistics (1958) Nuclear Vault 2022-04-03 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault Ballistic Missile Logistics by Lookout Mountain Laboratory, 1352nd Photographic Group
Atomic Tests In Nevada (1955) Nuclear Vault 2022-04-02 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault Atomic Tests In Nevada: The Story of AEC's Continental Proving Ground by United States. Department of EnergyPublication date 1955Listed at the National Archives as "Atomic Tests In Nevada, 1955." No description at the National Archives but this is an Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) film, "Atomic Tests In Nevada: The Story of AEC's Continental Proving Ground," which is about atomic testing fallout near St. George, Utah. National Archives Identifier: 88111
Minuteman From Design to Delivery (1963) Nuclear Vault 2022-04-01 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVaultMinuteman -- From Design to Delivery by United States. Department of Defense. Department of the Air Force.Summary: Boeing film describing the assembly of the weapon system from design assembly, check-out and testing; site locations and construction; preparation of equipment and personnel; and acceptance speech by Brig Gen Samuel C. Phillips, Dir of Minuteman Program at Ogden Plant 77. Shows Minuteman in SSCBM moving out of MATS C-133B, transported to missile transfer building, transported by transporter-erector to missile site, emplacement in silo, launch and tracking of missile.Description courtesy of the National ArchivesNational Archives Identifier 68894
Operation Cue (1964 Revision) Nuclear Vault 2022-03-31 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVaultOperation Cue (1964 revision) by U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Civil DefenseStudy of a nuclear test in 1955 at Nevada Test Site. Points out the contrast between the Nevada test in 1955 and present nuclear devices.
Operation Cue (1955) Nuclear Vault 2022-03-30 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault Operation Cue (1955) by U.S. Federal Civil Defense AdministrationDigitizing sponsor U.S. Federal Civil Defense Administration
Nuclear Might: Ready but Safe (1965) Nuclear Vault 2022-03-29 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault Nuclear Might: Ready but Safe by Lookout Mountain Air Force Station, 1352d Photographic Group Publication date 1965Special Film Project 1348 by the United States Air Force
The Eyes and Ears of the Arctic The DEW System Nuclear Vault 2022-03-28 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault This film reviews the history of the Distant Early Warning system from conception through construction and formal acceptance by the U.S. Air Force. Scenes explain the operation of the DEW system and the functions of civilian, U.S. Air Force, and Canadian military personnel.From the National Archives- ARC #7064733- USAF FR1344The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
Missile Safety At Vandenberg Air Force Base Nuclear Vault 2022-03-27 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault USAF Film Report, Ballistic Missile Development, Patrick AFB and Vandenberg AFB, California by United States. Department of Defense. Department of the Air Force.Coverage of missile development highlight during 1958, including launch scenes of Thor, Titan I, and Atlas missiles.National Archives Identifier 70028
U.S. Strategic Nuclear Policy • Part 4 Nuclear Vault 2022-03-26 | U.S. Strategic Nuclear Policy: An Oral History, 1945-2004 produced by Sandia National Laboratories and released publically for the first time by the National Security Archive (http://nsarchive.org). Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault
U.S. Strategic Nuclear Policy • Part 3 Nuclear Vault 2022-03-25 | U.S. Strategic Nuclear Policy: An Oral History, 1945-2004 produced by Sandia National Laboratories and released publically for the first time by the National Security Archive (http://nsarchive.org). Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault
U.S. Strategic Nuclear Policy • Part 2 Nuclear Vault 2022-03-24 | U.S. Strategic Nuclear Policy: An Oral History, 1945-2004 produced by Sandia National Laboratories and released publically for the first time by the National Security Archive (http://nsarchive.org). Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault
U.S. Strategic Nuclear Policy • Part 1 Nuclear Vault 2022-03-23 | U.S. Strategic Nuclear Policy: An Oral History, 1945-2004 produced by Sandia National Laboratories and released publically for the first time by the National Security Archive (http://nsarchive.org). wSubscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault
Project Dugout (Silent) Nuclear Vault 2022-03-22 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVaultst.llnl.gov/news/look-back/project-dugout-project-plowshareOn June 24, 1964, Livermore scientists executed “Project Dugout,” as part of a series of “ditching” experiments at the Nevada Test Site. The chemical high explosives blasted a “ditch” or channel with an approximate size of 290 feet long by 129 feet wide, with a depth of about 34 feet. The test was conducted under Livermore’s Plowshare effort — a program established in 1957 to explore the peaceful use of nuclear energy.The initial focus of the Plowshare Program was on large-scale earth excavation projects, such as the creation of harbors and canals. An emphasis on such Plowshare civil engineering applications was promulgated by international crises like the Egyptian seizure of the Suez Canal in 1956, as well as long-held interests of the Panama Canal Company in the construction of a sea-level canal.Ditching experiments, like Project Dugout, were designed to develop an understanding of the mechanisms of a row of charges for possible use in the excavation of canals and roadways. One such project under consideration by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) for its Plowshare Program was a 1963 feasibility study, designated “Carryall.” The plan, as submitted to the AEC by the California Division of Highways, the Santa Fe Railway, along with technical support from Livermore, envisioned the use of 22 nuclear devices to blast a massive roadcut through the Bristol Mountains to create a more direct route for the construction of Interstate 40 and a rail line.The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
Plowshare Excavation Project • Schooner Event (1968) Nuclear Vault 2022-03-21 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault Silent - AEC Schooner Event Plowshare Program, 1968 by United States. Department of Energy. National Nuclear Security Administration.The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
The Amchitka Program (1970) Nuclear Vault 2022-03-20 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVaultThis video discusses the MILROW nuclear test, a seismic calibration test to determine whether larger nuclear tests could be conducted on Amchitka Island, Alaska. The approximately one megaton MILROW device, buried 4000 feet underground, was detonated on October 2, 1969.The video shows scenic views of the Amchitka Island and discusses its participation in World War II activities and in a previous nuclear test - LONG SHOT. Footage also shows preparations and activities before, during, and after the MILROW test, including environmental protectionstudies and activities conducted by Atomic Energy Commission, Department of the Interior, and State of Alaska personnel. Surface effects during and after the test detonation are shown, including the surface subsidence crater.The three underground nuclear tests conducted on Amchitka Island, Alaska, were as follows:• LONG SHOT, October 29, 1965, shaft, Vela Uniform Project, approximately 80 kilotons• MILROW, October 2, 1969, shaft, weapons related, approximately 1 megaton (Mt)• CANNIKIN, November 6, 1971, shaft, weapons related, less than 5 MtPublication date 1970 Topics Department of Energy, Declassification Nuclear Testing Archive, Amchitka Island, Project Long Shot, Milrow, Cannikin0800038 - THE AMCHITKA PROGRAM 1970 Color 24:11
The Milrow Event (1969) Nuclear Vault 2022-03-19 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVaultThe Milrow Event by United States. Department of Energy. National Nuclear Security Administration.This video discusses the MILROW detonation, as presented by the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. The narrator sums up the reason for the test when he states, “The purpose of the MILROW event was to test an island, not a weapon.” The device, detonated on October 2, 1969, on Amchitka Island, Alaska, was buried 4000 feet underground and had a yield of approximately one megaton. MILROW demonstrated that a larger nuclear test could be safely conducted on the island.As seen in video number 0800038, scenic views of the island and additional World War II activities on Amchitka Island are shown. Additional footage shows environmental and safety activities beforeand after the test. The nuclear explosive package is shown being lowered into the shaft. An extensive overview of the unique shaft stemming and backfill operations is also shown along with a summary of diagnostic tests and their equipment. Surface effects during and after the detonation are shown, including subsidence crater results that differed from standard subsidences after nuclear explosions at the Nevada Test Site.Publication date 1969 Topics Department of Energy, Declassification Nuclear Testing Archive, Amchitka Island, Milrow 0800040 - THE MILROW EVENT 1969 Color 27:30
Operation UPSHOT-KNOTHOLE (1953) Nuclear Vault 2022-03-18 | Nuclear Test Film - Operation Upshot-Knothole by Department of EnergyDVD Copied by The Department of Energy, in cooperation with the Department of Defense, declassified a series of historical films on the nuclear weapons program. They were converted to videotape format to help preserve the films and to facilitate the declassification and release process. These films document the history of the development of nuclear weapons, starting with the first bomb tested at Trinity Site in southeastern New Mexico in July 1945..
Atomic Weapon Effects On B-50 Aircraft • Operation UP SHOT - KNOTHOLE 5•2 (1953) Nuclear Vault 2022-03-17 | NO AUDIO - Nuclear Test Film - Operation Upshot-Knothole, 5.2 by Department of EnergyDVD Copied by The Department of Energy, in cooperation with the Department of Defense, declassified a series of historical films on the nuclear weapons program. They were converted to videotape format to help preserve the films and to facilitate the declassification and release process. These films document the history of the development of nuclear weapons, starting with the first bomb tested at Trinity Site in southeastern New Mexico in July 1945..
United States Army Engineers In Operation SANDSTONE Nuclear Vault 2022-03-16 | Nuclear Test Film - Operation Sandstone - U.S. Army Engineers by Department of EnergyDVD Copied by The Department of Energy, in cooperation with the Department of Defense, declassified a series of historical films on the nuclear weapons program. They were converted to videotape format to help preserve the films and to facilitate the declassification and release process. These films document the history of the development of nuclear weapons, starting with the first bomb tested at Trinity Site in southeastern New Mexico in July 1945..
The Navys Part In Operation SANDSTONE (1948) Nuclear Vault 2022-03-15 | Nuclear Test Film - Operation Sandstone - Navy by Department of EnergyDVD Copied by The Department of Energy, in cooperation with the Department of Defense, declassified a series of historical films on the nuclear weapons program. They were converted to videotape format to help preserve the films and to facilitate the declassification and release process. These films document the history of the development of nuclear weapons, starting with the first bomb tested at Trinity Site in southeastern New Mexico in July 1945.
A Photographic Study of Blast and Thermal Phenomena - Operation TUMBLER Nuclear Vault 2022-03-14 | This film documents the technological and methodological measuring techniques used and photographic analyses employed in the obtaining of data necessary to arrive at more accurate blast yield predictions.Operation Tumbler : a photographic study of blast and thermal phenomena / scientific photography taken by EG&G, Inc. under direction of LASL for the USAEC; prepared by the United States Air Force, Lookout Mountain Laboratory, Air Photographic & Charting Service, Hollywood, California (22 min.) Project No. 85-1A-53
Operation HARDTACK Military Effects Studies • Part 4 Sub-Kiloton Effects (1958) Nuclear Vault 2022-03-13 | Operation Hardtack Military Effects Studies: Part 4 / Sub-Kiloton Effects by Lookout Mountain Laboratory, 1352nd Photographic Group Publication date 1958 United States Air Force film
Target Nevada (1951) Nuclear Vault 2022-03-12 | Target Nevada by USAF Lookout Mountain LaboratoryAs shown in the titles, this film is about "the story of United States Air Force support to the Atomic Energy Commission on continental atomic tests".Narrated by Carey Wilson, it uses footage shown also in "Operation Buster-Jangle" of 1951.
Operation REDWING (1956) Nuclear Vault 2022-03-11 | Nuclear Test Film - Operation Redwing by Department of EnergyDVD Copied by The Department of Energy, in cooperation with the Department of Defense, declassified a series of historical films on the nuclear weapons program. They were converted to videotape format to help preserve the films and to facilitate the declassification and release process. These films document the history of the development of nuclear weapons, starting with the first bomb tested at Trinity Site in southeastern New Mexico in July 1945..
Javelin and NLAW Anti-Tank Weapon Training • Lithuania Exercise Hunter 22 Nuclear Vault 2022-03-11 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault About 40 soldiers from the British Army took part in Exercise Hunter 22 in Lithuania, using state-of-the-art Javelin and NLAW anti-tank weapons systems alongside their Lithuanian allies. This was a pre-planned bilateral exercise focusing on shared anti-tank capabilities.The soldiers from Black Horse Troop, the UK contribution to the US-led NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup in Poland, is formed from B Squadron The Royal Dragoon Guards.Black Horse Troop are equipped with Jackal and Coyote vehicles as well as NLAW and Javelin anti-tank weapons. These two anti-tank systems have been employed by the British Army for a number of years and are a significant force multiplier for lightly armoured troops.Footage includes shots of UK troops operating the Javelin and NLAW weapons systems alongside the Lithuanian Army and an interview with Commander of Black Horse Troop Major Will Roome, Royal Dragoon Guards, British Army.Video Credit: NATO ChannelThe appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
Blast Measurement Group In Operation Sandstone (1947) Nuclear Vault 2022-03-10 | Blast Measurement Group In Operation Sandstone
JUNIPER - 65 kiloton Shot • Operation Hardtack 1 (1958) Nuclear Vault 2022-03-09 | Credit: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory llnl.govHigh speed film - approx. 2,400 frames per secondJUNIPER predicted fallout, surface radiological exclusion (radex) area, ship positions, and aircraft participation. JUNIPER, the last nuclear detonation to occur at Bikini, was detonated on July 22, 1958, at 1620. JUNIPER was detonated on a barge 4,000 feet (1.22 km) from the west end of Eneman in the ZUINI crater at Bikini . The detonation cloud rose to 40,000 feet (12.2 km) with an estimated 24,000-foot (7.32 km) base, and produced a 65 kilotons of TNT (270 TJ) yield range. No DOD-sponsored experiments were scheduled for JUNIPER. The U.S. conducted 210 atmospheric nuclear tests between 1945 and 1962, with multiple cameras capturing each event at around 2,400 frames per second. But in the decades since, around 10,000 of these films sat idle, scattered across the country in high-security vaults. Not only were they gathering dust, the film material itself was slowly decomposing, bringing the data they contained to the brink of being lost forever. For the past five years, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) weapon physicist Greg Spriggs and a crack team of film experts, archivists and software developers have been on a mission to hunt down, scan, reanalyze and declassify these decomposing films. The goals are to preserve the films’ content before it’s lost forever, and provide better data to the post-testing-era scientists who use computer codes to help certify that the aging U.S. nuclear deterrent remains safe, secure and effective.Video Credit: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) llnl.gov/news/physicist-declassifies-rescued-nuclear-test-filmsSubscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault
Operation Wigwam (1955) Nuclear Vault 2022-03-09 | Operation Wigwam involved a single test of the Mark 90 "Betty" nuclear bomb. It was conducted between Operation Teapot and Project 56 on May 14, 1955, about 500 miles (800 km) southwest of San Diego, California. 6,800 personnel aboard 30 ships were involved in Wigwam. The purpose of Wigwam was to determine the vulnerability of submarines to deeply detonated nuclear weapons, and to evaluate the feasibility of using such weapons in a combat situation. The task force commander, Admiral John Sylvester, was embarked on the task force flagship USS Mount McKinley. Wigwam was the first atomic test in the deep ocean, and it remains the only test that has been conducted in water deeper than 1,000 ft (300 m).From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_WigwamDVD Copied by The Department of Energy, in cooperation with the Department of Defense, declassified a series of historical films on the nuclear weapons program. They were converted to videotape format to help preserve the films and to facilitate the declassification and release process. These films document the history of the development of nuclear weapons, starting with the first bomb tested at Trinity Site in southeastern New Mexico in July 1945..Publication date 1955 Department of Energy
Operation Teapot • Military Effects Studies (1955) Nuclear Vault 2022-03-08 | Nuclear Test Film - Operation Teapot by Department of EnergyDVD Copied by The Department of Energy, in cooperation with the Department of Defense, declassified a series of historical films on the nuclear weapons program. They were converted to videotape format to help preserve the films and to facilitate the declassification and release process. These films document the history of the development of nuclear weapons, starting with the first bomb tested at Trinity Site in southeastern New Mexico in July 1945.
SAC Command Post Nuclear Vault 2022-03-07 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault Air Force Special Film Project 1236, "SAC Command Post" by U.S. Air ForceFrom U.S. Air Force index card: "Film describes the physical characteristics of the SAC Command Post, communications network, warning and alert systems, a senior controller demonstrating how positive control is assured and a simulated alert situation."Source of original: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Motion Pictures Unit, Record Group 342
Atlas The ICBM (1957) Nuclear Vault 2022-03-06 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault Atlas The ICBM by Lookout Mountain Laboratory, 1352nd Photographic Group Publication date 1957
Excavating With Nuclear Explosives • Technology Status Report Plowshare Program • 1968/1973 Nuclear Vault 2022-03-06 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVaultThis video discusses the Plowshare Program - a program that promoted using the energy produced from nuclear explosions for peaceful uses and applications. The Atomic Energy Commission established the program in 1958, and Lawrence Radiation Laboratory (now Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) developed and implemented the projects and tests. Under this program 27 nuclear tests comprising 35 individual detonations were conducted.The video describes the objectives of the Plowshare Program tests that include: stimulation of natural gas production; creation of underground zones of fractured oil shale; earth breaking and moving projects; neutron irradiation of targets to create new elements; copper and other metal extraction from the earth; breaking and crushing mineral deposits; and rapid excavation for large scale construction projects such as harbors, canals, or mountain passes.Comparisons between conventional and nuclear explosives in terms of cost, volume, and practical uses are discussed. Nuclear explosions are shown in schematic animation format in addition to actual film footage. Footage of people entering the underground GNOME cavity is shown, as well as close-ups of the five simultaneous, BUGGY row detonations. Conventional explosive comparisons are also shown, including one of almost 1400 tons of chemical explosives that decapitated the submerged pinnacles of Ripple Rock. The Rock had imperiled ships using the Inland Passage north of Vancouver, British Columbia.The Plowshare cratering tests shown in the “Nuclear Excavation" portion of the video include:• SEDAN, NTS, July 6, 1962, 104 kilotons (kt)• SULKY, NTS, December 18, 1964, 92 tons• CABRIOLET, NTS, January 26, 1968, 2.3 kt• BUGGY-A, BUGGY–B, BUGGY–C, BUGGY–D, and BUGGY-E, NTS, March 12, 1968, five simultaneous detonations, separate holes, 1.08 kt (each)• SCHOONER, NTS, December 8, 1968, 30 kt0800035 - NUCLEAR EXCAVATION, EXCAVATING WITH NUCLEAR EXPLOSIVES (8:45) AND PLOWSHARE (28:22) 1968 and 1973 Black & White and Color 37:07 total
Shot Number 12 • A Daylight Tower Shot - In Cinemascope (1955) Nuclear Vault 2022-03-06 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault Shot Number 12, A Daylight Tower Shot: Nevada Test Series by Lookout Mountain Laboratory, 1352d Motion Picture Squadron Publication date 1955The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
Ballistic Missile Development (1959) Nuclear Vault 2022-03-05 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault Ballistic Missile Development 1 January 1959 by Lookout Mountain Laboratory, 1352nd Photographic GroupThe appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
Nuclear War • Power of Decision (1958) Nuclear Vault 2022-03-04 | Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVault Air Force Special Film Project 416, "Power of Decision" by U.S. Air Force. Air Photographic and Charting ServiceCoverage of simulated war plan action, in the event of an attack, which was executed at the Operation Control Room, Offutt AFB, Nebraska, and at the underground control room (location SECRET), by Strategic Air Command. Footage includes pilots and ground crewmen scrambling; pilots boarding aircraft; B-47's, B-52's, and B-58's taxiing, taking off, maneuvering, and landing; and a KC-135 refueling a B-52. Also included are scenes of the launching of the Bull Goose, Rascal, Snark, and Thor missiles.
