3 ms·

70 years ago, an H-bomb test went awry. We must never forget the fallout

81 points by wolverine876 3y ago

boilerupnc 3y ago
https://archive.is/bMBDC https://archive.is/bMBDC
hulitu 3y ago
[flagged]
cpleppert 3y ago
Fantastically chronicled in Atoms and Ashes. [^1] The explosion was so powerful that the personnel in the monitoring station who were not expected to receive any radiation at all had to hide in a back room of their concrete bunker and hope an evacuation was possible. The radiation & fallout was so intense that all the monitoring ships had to leave their assigned stations. The bomb was a full 2.5 times what the designers expected: 15 megatons as opposed to 6. Just a complete unnecessary tragedy for the islanders. [^1]: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09VCPQZWP https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09VCPQZWP
- ffsm8 3y ago
  Thinking about it makes me kinda doubt the mental stability of the people greenlighting such creations. I mean, why do they want to spend silly amounts of money to create something that will only ever be a complete overkill. The only thing weapons of such magnitude (even if it "only" met the expectation) achieve is killing lots of civilians. Ignoring the morality of doing that, it's much less risky to deliver multiple smaller payloads which are also harder to counter from a strategic pov. Very questionable all around
  - baybal2 3y ago
    [dead]
  - nasmorn 3y ago
    MIRV warheads were not a thing yet. Also by being possible you kinda need to build them to uphold MAD. Being able to kill all civilians is the whole point
marssaxman 3y ago
The resulting crater is clearly visible in aerial photographs: https://maps.app.goo.gl/tEL1XM5mUZ1DqBfk8 https://maps.app.goo.gl/tEL1XM5mUZ1DqBfk8 Craters from two of the Operation Hardtack tests can also be seen, scooped out of the atoll: https://maps.app.goo.gl/9HhpqYfZ14m2qhLDA https://maps.app.goo.gl/9HhpqYfZ14m2qhLDA https://maps.app.goo.gl/r3KLzeprZgf8SDtE9 https://maps.app.goo.gl/r3KLzeprZgf8SDtE9 Due west of Bikini, at Enewetak, the first thermonuclear test "Ivy Mike" also left a distinct mark, and there's quite a tidy little crater visible in the shallow water next to the famous containment dome: https://maps.app.goo.gl/CFTuQ7zhA4CKE9CR8 https://maps.app.goo.gl/CFTuQ7zhA4CKE9CR8 https://maps.app.goo.gl/vEXg28JaFvkA9ED96 https://maps.app.goo.gl/vEXg28JaFvkA9ED96

81 points by wolverine876 3y ago

boilerupnc 3y ago

https://archive.is/bMBDC https://archive.is/bMBDC

hulitu 3y ago

[flagged]

cpleppert 3y ago

Fantastically chronicled in Atoms and Ashes. [^1] The explosion was so powerful that the personnel in the monitoring station who were not expected to receive any radiation at all had to hide in a back room of their concrete bunker and hope an evacuation was possible. The radiation & fallout was so intense that all the monitoring ships had to leave their assigned stations. The bomb was a full 2.5 times what the designers expected: 15 megatons as opposed to 6. Just a complete unnecessary tragedy for the islanders. [^1]: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09VCPQZWP https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09VCPQZWP

ffsm8 3y ago
Thinking about it makes me kinda doubt the mental stability of the people greenlighting such creations. I mean, why do they want to spend silly amounts of money to create something that will only ever be a complete overkill. The only thing weapons of such magnitude (even if it "only" met the expectation) achieve is killing lots of civilians. Ignoring the morality of doing that, it's much less risky to deliver multiple smaller payloads which are also harder to counter from a strategic pov. Very questionable all around
- baybal2 3y ago
  [dead]
- nasmorn 3y ago
  MIRV warheads were not a thing yet. Also by being possible you kinda need to build them to uphold MAD. Being able to kill all civilians is the whole point

marssaxman 3y ago

The resulting crater is clearly visible in aerial photographs: https://maps.app.goo.gl/tEL1XM5mUZ1DqBfk8 https://maps.app.goo.gl/tEL1XM5mUZ1DqBfk8 Craters from two of the Operation Hardtack tests can also be seen, scooped out of the atoll: https://maps.app.goo.gl/9HhpqYfZ14m2qhLDA https://maps.app.goo.gl/9HhpqYfZ14m2qhLDA https://maps.app.goo.gl/r3KLzeprZgf8SDtE9 https://maps.app.goo.gl/r3KLzeprZgf8SDtE9 Due west of Bikini, at Enewetak, the first thermonuclear test "Ivy Mike" also left a distinct mark, and there's quite a tidy little crater visible in the shallow water next to the famous containment dome: https://maps.app.goo.gl/CFTuQ7zhA4CKE9CR8 https://maps.app.goo.gl/CFTuQ7zhA4CKE9CR8 https://maps.app.goo.gl/vEXg28JaFvkA9ED96 https://maps.app.goo.gl/vEXg28JaFvkA9ED96