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Charioteer
MILL YARD nuclear test Stemming Plan.png
Mill Yard test underground cavity schematic
Information
Country United States
Test site NTS Area 12, Rainier Mesa; NTS Area 19, 20, Pahute Mesa; NTS, Areas 1–4, 6–10, Yucca Flat
Period 1985–1986
Number of tests 16
Test type underground cavity in tunnel, underground shaft, tunnel
Max. yield 140 kilotonnes of TNT (590 TJ)
Navigation
Previous test series Operation Grenadier
Next test series Operation Musketeer

Operation Charioteer was a series of 16 nuclear tests conducted by the United States in 1985–1986 at the Nevada Test Site. These tests followed the Operation Grenadier series and preceded the Operation Musketeer series.

United States' Charioteer series tests and detonations
Name Date time (UT) Local time zone Location Elevation + height Delivery
Purpose
Device Yield Fallout References Notes
Mill Yard October 9, 1985 20:40:00.128 PST (–8 hrs)
NTS Area U12n.20 37°12′31″N 116°12′22″W / 37.20862°N 116.20615°W / 37.20862; -116.20615 (Mill Yard) 2,203 m (7,228 ft) – 371 m (1,217 ft) underground cavity in tunnel,
weapon effect
75 t Venting detected, 6 Ci (220 GBq)
Diamond Beech October 9, 1985 23:20:00.086 PST (–8 hrs)
NTS Area U12n.19 37°12′35″N 116°12′39″W / 37.20962°N 116.21097°W / 37.20962; -116.21097 (Diamond Beech) 2,230 m (7,320 ft) – 404.5 m (1,327 ft) tunnel,
weapon effect
2.5 kt Venting detected, 1 Ci (37 GBq)

Also a containment performance test

Roquefort October 16, 1985 21:35:00.086 PST (–8 hrs)
NTS Area U4as 37°06′37″N 116°07′23″W / 37.1103°N 116.12309°W / 37.1103; -116.12309 (Roquefort) 1,341 m (4,400 ft) – 415 m (1,362 ft) underground shaft,
weapons development
20 kt Venting detected
Abo October 30, 1985 16:00:00.087 PST (–8 hrs)
NTS Area U3mc 37°03′02″N 116°02′13″W / 37.05057°N 116.03687°W / 37.05057; -116.03687 (Abo) 1,202 m (3,944 ft) – 196.29 m (644.0 ft) underground shaft,
weapons development
10 t Venting detected, less than 30 Ci (1,100 GBq)
Goldstone December 28, 1985 19:01:00.089 PST (–8 hrs)
NTS Area U20ao 37°14′16″N 116°28′25″W / 37.23775°N 116.47364°W / 37.23775; -116.47364 (Goldstone) 1,887 m (6,191 ft) – 549 m (1,801 ft) underground shaft,
weapons development
60 kt Project Excalibur X-ray laser development test
Glencoe March 22, 1986 16:15:00.08 PST (–8 hrs)
NTS Area U4i 37°04′59″N 116°04′01″W / 37.08296°N 116.06691°W / 37.08296; -116.06691 (Glencoe) 1,233 m (4,045 ft) – 609.6 m (2,000 ft) underground shaft,
weapons development
29 kt Venting detected off site, 0.1 Ci (3.7 GBq)
Mighty Oak April 10, 1986 14:08:30.095 PST (–8 hrs)
NTS Area U12t.08 37°13′06″N 116°11′01″W / 37.21827°N 116.18353°W / 37.21827; -116.18353 (Mighty Oak) 2,084 m (6,837 ft) – 394.4 m (1,294 ft) tunnel,
weapon effect
20 kt Venting detected on site, 36 kCi (1,300 TBq)

Radiation effect test on military hardware

Mogollon April 20, 1986 15:12:30.074 PST (–8 hrs)
NTS Area U3li 37°00′42″N 116°02′48″W / 37.01164°N 116.04679°W / 37.01164; -116.04679 (Mogollon) 1,187 m (3,894 ft) – 259.4 m (851 ft) underground shaft,
weapons development
1.5 kt
Jefferson April 22, 1986 14:30:00.086 PST (–8 hrs)
NTS Area U20ai 37°15′51″N 116°26′28″W / 37.26406°N 116.44109°W / 37.26406; -116.44109 (Jefferson) 1,955 m (6,414 ft) – 609 m (1,998 ft) underground shaft,
weapons development
W56 80 kt I-131 venting detected, 0 Stockpile confidence test, partial-yield test of an aging W56
Panamint May 21, 1986 13:59:00.083 PST (–8 hrs)
NTS Area U2gb 37°07′30″N 116°03′41″W / 37.12499°N 116.06126°W / 37.12499; -116.06126 (Panamint) 1,259 m (4,131 ft) – 480 m (1,570 ft) underground shaft,
weapons development
1 kt Venting detected, 3 Ci (110 GBq)
Tajo June 5, 1986 15:04:00.064 PST (–8 hrs)
NTS Area U7bl 37°05′54″N 116°00′58″W / 37.09842°N 116.01618°W / 37.09842; -116.01618 (Tajo) 1,289 m (4,229 ft) – 518.2 m (1,700 ft) underground shaft,
weapons development
67 kt
Cybar July 17, 1986 21:00:00.06 PST (–8 hrs)
NTS Area U19ar 37°16′43″N 116°21′23″W / 37.27862°N 116.35649°W / 37.27862; -116.35649 (Cybar) 2,017 m (6,617 ft) – 627 m (2,057 ft) underground shaft,
weapons development
119 kt I-131 venting detected, 0
Cornucopia July 24, 1986 15:05:00.086 PST (–8 hrs)
NTS Area U2ga(s) 37°08′34″N 116°04′19″W / 37.1427°N 116.07199°W / 37.1427; -116.07199 (Cornucopia) 1,287 m (4,222 ft) – 381 m (1,250 ft) underground shaft,
weapons development
8 kt I-131 venting detected, 0
Galveston September 4, 1986 16:09:00.057 PST (–8 hrs)
NTS Area U19af 37°14′23″N 116°22′07″W / 37.23968°N 116.36864°W / 37.23968; -116.36864 (Galveston) 2,018 m (6,621 ft) – 487.1 m (1,598 ft) underground shaft,
weapons development
B61 350 t B61 stockpile confidence test
Aleman September 11, 1986 14:57:00.11 PST (–8 hrs)
NTS Area U3kz 37°04′09″N 116°03′02″W / 37.06903°N 116.05056°W / 37.06903; -116.05056 (Aleman) 1,218 m (3,996 ft) – 502.6 m (1,649 ft) underground shaft,
weapons development
100 t
Labquark September 30, 1986 22:30:00.102 PST (–8 hrs)
NTS Area U19an 37°18′00″N 116°18′30″W / 37.30003°N 116.30831°W / 37.30003; -116.30831 (Labquark) 2,100 m (6,900 ft) – 616 m (2,021 ft) underground shaft,
weapons development
140 kt Venting detected, 16 Ci (590 GBq) Project Excalibur X-ray laser development test
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