Operation Ranger
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| Operation Ranger | |
|---|---|
 Ranger Fox | |
| Information | |
| Country | United States |
| Test site | NTS Areas 5, 11, Frenchman Flat |
| Period | 1951 |
| Number of tests | 5 |
| Test type | Free fall air drop |
| Max. yield | 1 kilotonne of TNT (4.2 TJ) - 22 kilotonnes of TNT (92 TJ) |
| Navigation | |
| Previous test series | Sandstone |
| Next test series | Greenhouse |
Operation Ranger was the fourth American nuclear test series. It was conducted in 1951 and was the first series to be carried out at the Nevada Test Site.[1] All the bombs were dropped by B-50D bombers and exploded in the open air over Frenchman Flat (Area 5).
These tests centered on the practicality of developing a second generation of nuclear weapons using smaller amounts of valuable nuclear materials. They were planned under the name Operation Faust.
The exact locations of the tests are a bit fuzzy, as they were all air drops. However, the planned ground zero was set at 36°49′32″N 115°57′54″W / 36.82556°N 115.96500°W [2] for all except the Fox shot, which was "500 feet west and 300 feet south" in order to minimize damage to the control point.[3]
The United States test series summary table is here: United States' nuclear testing series.
The detonations in the United States' Ranger series are listed below:
| Name[Note 1] | Date Time (UT) | Local time zone[Note 2] | Location[Note 3] | Elevation + Height[Note 4] | Delivery[Note 5] | Purpose[Note 6] | Device[Note 7] | Yield[Note 8] | Venting[Note 9] | References | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Able | January 27, 1951 13:44:51.0 | PST | NTS Area 5 ~ 36°49′36″N 115°57′32″W / 36.82664°N 115.95883°W | 1,010 m (3,310 ft) + 323 m (1,060 ft) | Free fall air drop | Weapons development | Mk-4, Type D | 1 kt | I-131 venting detected, 1.3 MCi (48 PBq) | [4][5][6][7][8][9] | First test over continental United States since Trinity. Testing compression against critical mass as inspired by the demon core. Often later used for a 1 kt calibrated explosion. See also Ranger/Easy. |
| Baker | January 28, 1951 13:05:24.5 | PST | NTS Area 5 ~ 36°49′36″N 115°57′32″W / 36.82664°N 115.95883°W | 1,010 m (3,310 ft) + 329 m (1,079 ft) | Free fall air drop | Weapons development | Mk-4, Type D, TOM Init | 8 kt | I-131 venting detected, 3.2 MCi (120 PBq) | [4][5][6][7][8][9] | Fractional critical core, TOM initiator. See also Ranger/Easy. |
| Easy | February 1, 1951 13:46:39.5 | PST | NTS Area 5 ~ 36°49′36″N 115°57′32″W / 36.82664°N 115.95883°W | 1,010 m (3,310 ft) + 329 m (1,079 ft) | Free fall air drop | Weapons development | Mk-4, Type D | 1 kt | [4][5][6][7][8][9] | Testing compression against critical mass. | |
| Baker 2 | February 2, 1951 13:48:48.0 | PST | NTS Area 5 ~ 36°49′36″N 115°57′32″W / 36.82664°N 115.95883°W | 1,010 m (3,310 ft) + 335 m (1,099 ft) | Free fall air drop | Weapons development | Mk-4, Type D | 8 kt | [4][5][6][7][8][9] | Identical to Baker-1, test of reproducible results. See also Ranger/Easy. | |
| Fox | February 6, 1951 13:46:55.0 | PST | NTS Area 5 36°49′29″N 115°58′01″W / 36.82485°N 115.96708°W | 1,010 m (3,310 ft) + 437 m (1,434 ft) | Free fall air drop | Weapons development | Mk-6 HOW, Type D "Freddy" | 22 kt | [4][5][6][7][8][9] | Proof Test of Mark 6 HOW "Fox" core. "500 ft west and 300 ft south of drop target used by other Ranger blasts, to avoid damage to the control point.". |
- ↑ The US, France and Great Britain have code-named their test events, while the USSR and China have not, and therefore have only test numbers (with some exceptions - Soviet peaceful explosions were named). A dash followed by a number indicates a member of a salvo event. The US also named the individual explosions in such a test,which results in "<name> - 1(with <other_name>)".
- ↑ To compute local standard time "PST" (Pacific ST) from UT, subtract 8 hours from the UT. If that time is less then 00:00, add 24 hours and decrease the date by one day.
- ↑ Rough place name and a Latitude/Longitude reference; for rocket bursts, the launch location is specified before the burst location, if known. Some locations are extremely accurate; others (like airdrops and space blasts) may be quite inaccurate. "~" indicates a likely pro-forma rough location, shared with other tests in that same area.
- ↑ Elevation is the ground level at the point directly below the explosion relative to sea level; height is the additional distance added or subtracted by tower, balloon, shaft, tunnel, air drop or other contrivance. For rocket bursts the ground level is "N/A". In some cases it is not clear if the height is absolute or relative to ground, for example, Plumbbob/John. No number/units indicates the value is unknown, while "0" means zero.
- ↑ Atmospheric, airdrop, balloon, gun, cruise missile, rocket, surface, tower, barge and cratering are all disallowed by the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Sealed shaft and tunnel are underground, and remained useful under the PTBT.
- ↑ Include weapons development, weapon effects, safety test, transport safety test, war, science, joint verification and industrial/peaceful, which may be further broken down.
- ↑ Designations for test items where known, nicknames for particular devices in quotes.
- ↑ Estimated energy yield in tonnes, kilotonnes, and megatonnes (all metric units).
- ↑ Emissions to atmosphere, where known. The measured species is only iodine-131 if mentioned, otherwise it's all species. No entry means unknown, probably none if underground and everything if not; otherwise notation for whether measured on the site only or off the site, and the maximum amount of radiation released.
References
- ↑ Hacker, Barton C (1994). Elements of Controversy: The Atomic Energy Commission and Radiation Safety in Nuclear Weapons Testing 1947-1974. University of California Press. p. 44. ISBN 0-520-08323-7. Retrieved 2012-01-03.
- ↑ Maag, Carl, Rohrer, Stephen, Shepanek, Robert (1982-02-26). Operation Ranger: Shots Able, Baker, Easy, Baker-2, Fox. Defense Nuclear Agency. DNA-6022F. Retrieved 2013-03-05.
- ↑ Fehner, Terrence R., Gosling, F. G. (2000). Origins of the Nevada Test Site (Report). Department of Energy. DOE.MA-0158. http://www.dd.anl.gov/ddtraining/50yrsNTSHistory.pdf. Retrieved 2013-3-5.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 United States Nuclear Tests: July 1945 through September 1992 (DOENV-209 REV15). Las Vegas, NV: Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office. 2000-12-01. Retrieved 2013-12-18.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Yang, Xiaoping; North, Robert; Romney, Carl. CMR Nuclear Explosion Database (Revision 3). SMDC Monitoring Research.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Hansen, Chuck (1995). The Swords of Armageddon, Vol. 8. Sunnyvale, CA: Chukelea Publications. ISBN 978-0-9791915-1-0.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Operation Ranger: Shots Able, Baker, Easy, Baker-2, Fox, 25 January-6 February 1951 (DNA-6022F). Washington, DC: Defense Nuclear Agency. 1982. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 "Estimated exposures and thyroid doses received by the American people from Iodine-131 in fallout following Nevada atmospheric nuclear bomb tests, Chapter 2". National Cancer Institute. 1997. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Sublette, Carey. "Nuclear Weapons Archive". Retrieved 2014-01-06.
- Griggs, D. T., and Frank Press (1961). "Probing the earth with nuclear explosions". Journal of Geophysical Research. 66(1): 237–258.
External links
- The short film Nuclear Test Film - Operation Ranger, Operation Buster/Jangle (1951) is available for free download at the Internet Archive [more]
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