Things turned out significantly more disastrous than initially anticipated.
Project Starfish
In 1962, the United States was set to perform the most significant nuclear test in the cosmos. The test, dubbed Starfish Prime, was a collaborative endeavor by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and the Defense Atomic Support Agency. This initiative was a part of Operation Fishbowl, a series of tests in 1962 which were initiated as a counter-response to the Soviet’s declaration in August 1961 of their decision to cease a three-year pause on testing. However, the events that unfolded next were beyond the worst anyone had anticipated.
Originally, the Starfish experiment was slated as the second in the Fishbowl lineup. However, the Bluegill, the initial launch, went off the radar and had to be dismantled mid-air. Then the maiden Starfish launch attempt on June 20 also had to be aborted mid-flight due to the failure of the Thor launch vehicle. Post 59 seconds of normal trajectory, the rocket engine ceased, and the missile started disintegrating. The range safety officer commanded to dismantle the missile and warhead. Components of the missile, along with some radioactive pollution, scattered over Johnston Atoll, neighboring Sand Island, and the encompassing ocean.
The Havoc of Starfish Prime
On July 9, 1962, specifically at 09:00:09 Coordinated Universal Time, which is 11:00:09 pm Honolulu time on July 8, the Starfish Prime experiment was initiated. The test took place 250 miles (400 km) above Earth’s surface. The explosion’s actual yield was remarkably close to the projected yield, which has been estimated between 1.4 to 1.45 Mt (5.9 to 6.1 PJ) by different sources. The nuclear warhead was detonated 13 minutes and 41 seconds post the Thor missile’s launch from Johnston Atoll.
However, it wasn’t the explosion itself but its consequences which were significantly surprising and devastating. Starfish Prime’s aftermath included a much larger than anticipated electromagnetic pulse (EMP), which severely affected several instruments, making precise measurement extremely challenging. This event brought the effects of EMP to the public’s attention through an unintended display of its power. The EMP had disrupted electrical systems in Hawaii, located approximately 900 miles (1,450 km) from the test location, leading to the failure of about 300 street lights, triggering numerous burglar alarms, and causing damage to a telephone company’s microwave link. This damage disrupted telecommunication, impeding telephone calls from Kauai to the other Hawaiian islands.
A Surprising Burst of Flame
The Starfish Prime detonation was supported by the launch of 27 miniature rockets from Johnston Atoll for the purpose of data collection. To augment this, a wealth of rocket-mounted instruments took flight from Barking Sands, Kauai, located in the Hawaiian Islands. The experiment was extensively backed by multiple US military sea and air vehicles, not only in the vicinity of the Johnston Atoll but also in the greater North Pacific expanse. Moreover, a handful of military vessels and aircraft were strategically located close to the Samoan Islands, in the South Pacific Ocean. This specific area coincided with the southernmost point of the Earth’s magnetic line from the site of the nuclear explosion, a region commonly referred to as the “southern conjugate region” during the test.
The test, however, had unforeseen consequences. The detonation led to the creation of a swath of MeV electrons that were captured within the Earth’s magnetic field. This resulted in radiation belts that inflicted great damage upon satellites in low orbit. Tragically, one-third of these satellites were damaged or completely ruined, among which was Ariel One, the first orbital satellite from the UK.
Understanding Russia’s Ambitions
Recent activities have heightened worries linked to fresh evidence of Russia’s progression towards a novel space-centric anti-satellite (ASAT) armament, incorporating a nuclear element.
The explicit character of this nuclear component remains a mystery, stimulating hypotheses that Russia may be cultivating either a nuclear-equipped or nuclear-powered ASAT ability. A nuclear-armed ASAT weapon could eternally incapacitate a substantial chunk of an adversary’s satellites in a singular attack, whereas a nuclear-powered ASAT munition wielding lasers or particle beams could bestow equivalent advantages without causing excessive space waste or radiation.
While Russia possesses the ability to position a space-based nuclear bomb, the evolution of a complex nuclear-driven electromagnetic weaponry system in space presents considerable obstacles. If a practical weapon system is launched in space, it would contravene the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and endow Moscow with the possibility of initiating a catastrophic assault on NATO at any given time, potentially hindering the organization from responding assertively to a terrestrial attack on an affiliate member. This menace may be the bargaining chip Russian President Vladimir Putin aspires to dangle in front of the West.
