Operation Sunbeam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Operation Sunbeam |
|
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Country | United States |
| Period | 1962 |
| Number of tests | 4 |
| Test type | cratering, dry surface, gun deployed, tower |
| Max. yield | 1.6 kilotonnes of TNT (6.7 TJ) |
Operation Sunbeam (also known as Operation Dominic II) was a series of four nuclear tests conducted at the United States's Nevada Test Site in 1962. Operation Sunbeam tested tactical nuclear warheads; the most notable was the Davy Crockett.
The chief milestone of Operation Sunbeam was that it was the last nuclear test series on the Nevada Test Site conducted in the atmosphere by the United States. Since Operation Sunbeam, specifically the Little Feller 1 test of the Davy Crockett, all US nuclear tests on the Test Site have been carried out underground in accordance with the Partial Test Ban Treaty.
List of the nuclear tests
| Name | Date time (UT) | Local time zone | Location | Elevation + height | Delivery Purpose |
Device | Yield | Fallout | References | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Feller II | July 7, 1962 19:00:?? | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS 37°07′09″N 116°18′14″W / 37.11906°N 116.30381°W | 1,566 m (5,138 ft) + 1 m (3 ft 3 in) | dry surface, weapon effect |
W-54 | 22 t | I-131 venting detected, 0 | Used a stockpile Davy Crockett warhead. The Army's part of Sunbeam was Operation Ivy Flats. | |
| Johnnie Boy | July 11, 1962 16:45:00.09 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS 37°07′20″N 116°20′02″W / 37.12216°N 116.33395°W | 1,572 m (5,157 ft)–0.6 m (2 ft 0 in) | cratering, weapon effect |
W30 TADM | 500 t | Venting detected off site | TADM (Tactical Atomic Demolition Munition) test, similar to Plumbbob Stokes. | |
| Small Boy | July 14, 1962 18:30:?? | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area 5 36°47′53″N 115°55′55″W / 36.798°N 115.932°W | 940 m (3,080 ft) + 3 m (9.8 ft) | tower, weapon effect |
1.7 kt | I-131 venting detected, 270 kCi (10,000 TBq) | Test of missile silo hardening principles, specifically EMP, similar to Nougat Ermine, Chinchilla I/II, Armadillo. | ||
| Little Feller I | July 17, 1962 17:00:?? | PST (–8 hrs) |
Launch from NTS Area 18, Buckboard Mesa 37°05′10″N 116°19′47″W / 37.08607°N 116.32977°W, elv: 1,630 + 2 m (5,347.8 + 6.6 ft); Detonation over NTS 37°06′34″N 116°19′06″W / 37.10946°N 116.31823°W |
2,550 m (8,370 ft) + 1 m (3 ft 3 in) | gun deployed, weapon effect |
W54 | 18 t | Venting detected off site, 3 kCi (110 TBq) | Army Operation Ivy Flats, witnessed by Robert Kennedy. Last atmospheric test at NTS, used a stockpile Davy Crockett warhead. |
See also
In Spanish: Operación Sunbeam para niños
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Operation Sunbeam Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.