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Declassified record · U.S. Department of Energy

Memo to K E Fields, Subject: Danger Areas During Recently Completed Air Force Teting Activities at Eniwetok

Dated
Nov 13, 1957
Document type
Correspondence
Length
2 pages
Open the original scanArchive record OSTI ID 16382088 · public domain

Document text

Machine-read from the scan, so expect some errors. Lines that couldn’t be read are left out.

Page 1

ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION FROM : Brig. General Alfred D, Starbird, USA Director of Military Application SUBJECT: DANGER AREAS DURING RECENTLY COMPLETED AIR FORCE TESTING ACTIVITIES AT ENIWETOK The following information on the above subject is presented for circulation to the Commission, if you so desire, in accordancewith memorandum of October 31, 1957 from the Secretary: I informed the Air Force Office of Scientific Research on April 17, 1957* that prior to approval for the conducting of Project Far Side at EPG, the AEC required that the Air Force procure approval f’rorn the Departments of State and Interior; e.ssnmeresponsibilityand liability for injury or damage to all per~ons and property in EPG or any area as the result of the conduct of the operation; and establish a strong publlc information program emphasizing the basic scientificresearch nature of tests and the absence of any connectionwith nuclear weapons on JUly 27, 1957* the AFOSR replied to the AEC conditions stating that the Atr Force assumes responsibilityand liability for injury or damages to persons or property as a result of this operation under the provisions of AFR 112-6. As enclosures to the AFOSR letter were copies of letters from State and Interior granting their approval. The State letter reemphasizedthe responsibilityof the Air Force in assuming that maximum safety precautionswould be taken, to include warnings to the inhabitants,airmen and mariners of the area through customary clhannels. Sta.teisletter further stated that it is understood that the Air Force assumeclliability in connectionwith the During the operation and about twenty hours prior to firing, the AFOSR team at Ihxtwetok,in coordinationwith TG 7.2 and the Air Force Airways CommunicationService, sent radio teletype messages to the Navy HydrographicOffice at Honolulu, the High Commissioner of the Trust Territory, the Movement Report Center at Pearl Harbor and other agencies controlling shipping and air movements in the Pacific area. These warnings were sent prior to each firing and established the danger areas around ~Correspondenceon file in Division of Military Application.

Page 2

surface zero (Latitude llo 201 N, Longitude 161 degrees 301 E) i of the rocket launching from the balloon at altitude as follows: Balloon will fall within 10 mile radius of above First stage rocket case will fall within 35 nautical mile radius of same locus, Second stage roclcetcase will fall within 150 nautical mile radtus of same locus. The third and fourth stage rocket cases would burn up on the way down, The rocket stages were followed optically and the impacts of the first and second stage case were observed visually. All impacts occurred within a five mile radius of surface zero of rocket launch. The balloon platform was apparently stable enou~h to permit launching conditionsmore ( vertical than expected,