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  • PROJECT ARGUS AND THE RAINBOW BOMBS

    From Billy Lawter@RICKSBBS to All on Tue Jul 7 06:19:19 2026
    PROJECT ARGUS and the RAINBOW BOMBS

    UNITED STATES NUCLEAR DETONATIONS IN SPACE


    Around 1958, the significant implications of the Earth's magnetic
    fields and radiation belts for future military activities were what
    drew the attention of government physicists. Nicholas Christofilos, a
    physicist working at the University of California's Livermore Radiation
    Laboratory, developed techniques to harness and control the energy
    released in hydorgen fusion reactions. Christofilos used magnetic
    confinment fields. When the Soviets launched Sputnik I, Christofilos
    decided that the earth's magnetic field could be used to contain an
    artificial band of relativistic electrons. He speculated that this
    artificial radiation belt could be made intense enough to destroy
    satellites in orbit. The belt would produce worldwide radio noise on
    the HF and VHF radio bands that carried the bulk of military
    communications. By accurately calculating the site for an explosion of
    a nuclear device, it's effects could be made to occur over a specific
    target area. Christofilos urged that the government test his postulates
    by exploding a nuclear device in space. Christofilos superiors at
    Livermore placed his papers under top security control and advised the
    President's Science Advisory group of the matter. The resulting program
    became Project Argus.


    PROJECT ARGUS TESTS

    Explosion Locale Date Yield Altitude
    ---------------------------------------------------------------

    Argus I South Atlantic Aug 27, 1958 1KT 200KM

    Argus II South Atlantic Aug 30, 1958 1KT 250KM

    Argus III South Atlantic Sept 6, 1958 1KT 500KM


    POST-ARGUS TESTING ACTIONS
    --------------------------
    Starfish Johnston Island July, 9 1962 1.4KT 400KM


    SOVIET NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS IN SPACE
    ----------------------------------

    USSR Siberia Oct 22, 1962 200KT UNK

    USSR Siberia Oct 28, 1962 800KT UNK

    USSR Siberia Nov 1, 1962 1+MT UNK

    Billy,
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    http://ricksbbs.synchro.net:8080
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    ---
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