Word: megaton
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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...course, referring to the monster thermonuclear device exploded by the U.S.S.R. during its 1961 test series. Said McNamara: "They have demonstrated a device of 60 megatons which we believe could be weaponized at about 100 megatons. The Soviets probably have no missile at this time which will deliver a 100-megaton warhead." As to that, some U.S. scientists and military leaders disagree with McNamara, believe that the 100-megaton giant, weighing between 20,000 and 30,000 Ibs., could already be hung on the end of the Soviets' gigantic Vos-tok-launching rocket, nicknamed "The Beast" by U.S. intelligence...
Delayed Debris. Easiest to detect-provided the proper instruments are orbiting in space-are the soft X rays; they are by far the largest product of the explosion. The Vela-Hotel instrument package is expected to detect soft X rays from a one megaton explosion 200 million miles away from the earth and distinguish them from X rays from solar flares and other natural sources. Some instruments are also sensitive to gamma rays and neutrons...
Power y. Punch. The freeze on atmospheric testing will preserve the Soviet lead in huge hydrogen bombs, such as the 58-megaton monster the Kremlin exploded during its Arctic test series in the fall of 1961. The tests taught the Soviets much about packing more punch into a lighter weapon, thus giving them valuable information on how to deliver the warhead by rocket rather than by vulnerable bombers. But the U.S. did not bother to invest the time, money and manpower in a big-bang competition with the Kremlin; the biggest U.S. nuclear bombs are in the 25-30 megaton...
...objection that the United States is cluttering space is far more serious. Already the U.S. has a poor international reputation for its "behavior in space," due to the Starfish experiment. Project Starfish was one of the nuclear tests conducted at Johnston Island last year. A 1.4 megaton bomb was detonated at an altitude of 250 miles on July 9, injecting radiation into the earth's magnetic field and creating and artificial Van Allen belt. This radiation did not disappear as American scientists predicted--in fact, it has rendered useless three satellites, as well as interfering seriously with the work...
...above chart indicates the radius (in miles) of the area of 100% mortality, with or without fallout shelters. For example, if a 10 megaton bomb burst over the Harvard Yard, Concord would be within the area completely destroyed...