The Soviet Union's 1958 nuclear test series[1] was a group of 36 nuclear tests conducted in 1958. These tests followed the 1957 Soviet nuclear tests series and preceded the 1961 Soviet nuclear tests series.
1958 | |
---|---|
Information | |
Country | Soviet Union |
Test site | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan; NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia; Western Kazakhstan |
Period | 1958 |
Number of tests | 36 |
Test type | air drop, atmospheric, high alt rocket (30–80 km) |
Max. yield | 2.9 megatonnes of TNT (12 PJ) |
Test series chronology | |
Name [note 1] | Date time (UT) | Local time zone[note 2][2] | Location[note 3] | Elevation + height [note 4] | Delivery, [note 5] Purpose [note 6] |
Device[note 7] | Yield[note 8] | Fallout[note 9] | References | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
50 (Joe 44) | 4 January 1958 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50°24′N 77°48′E / 50.4°N 77.8°E | 280 m (920 ft) + 400 m (1,300 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
1.3 kt | [1][3][4][5][6][7] | |||
51 (Joe 45) | 17 January 1958 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50°24′N 77°48′E / 50.4°N 77.8°E | N/A + 500 m (1,600 ft) | atmospheric, weapons development |
500 t | [1][3][4][5][6][7] | |||
52 (Joe 46) | 23 February 1958 | MSK (3 hrs) |
NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 74°18′N 53°48′E / 74.3°N 53.8°E | 0 + 2,500 m (8,200 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
warhead-2 NGB? TN | 860 kt | [1][3][6][8] | ||
53 (Joe 47) | 27 February 1958 07:59:?? | MSK (3 hrs) |
NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 74°24′N 53°36′E / 74.4°N 53.6°E | 0 + 2,500 m (8,200 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
TN | 250 kt | [1][3][6][8] | ||
54 (Joe 48) | 27 February 1958 10:24:?? | MSK (3 hrs) |
NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 74°18′N 54°00′E / 74.3°N 54°E | 0 + | air drop, weapons development |
warhead-1 TN | 1.5 Mt | [1][3][6][8] | ||
55 (Joe 49) | 13 March 1958 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50°24′N 77°48′E / 50.4°N 77.8°E | 280 m (920 ft) + 475 m (1,558 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
1.2 kt | [1][3][4][5][6][7] | |||
unnumbered #2 | 13 March 1958 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50°24′N 77°48′E / 50.4°N 77.8°E | 280 m (920 ft) + | atmospheric, |
less than 0.001 kt | [1][5][6][7][9] | |||
56 (Joe 51) | 14 March 1958 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50°24′N 77°48′E / 50.4°N 77.8°E | 280 m (920 ft) + 1,030 m (3,380 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
35 kt | [1][3][5][6][7][9] | |||
57 (Joe 50) | 14 March 1958 | MSK (3 hrs) |
NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 74°15′N 54°20′E / 74.25°N 54.33°E | 0 + | air drop, fundamental science |
40 kt | [1][3][8] | |||
58 (Joe 52) | 15 March 1958 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50°24′N 77°48′E / 50.4°N 77.8°E | 280 m (920 ft) + 965 m (3,166 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
14 kt | [1][3][5][6][7][9] | |||
unnumbered #3 | 15 March 1958 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50°24′N 77°48′E / 50.4°N 77.8°E | 280 m (920 ft) + | atmospheric, |
no yield | [1][5][6][7][9] | |||
59 | 18 March 1958 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50°24′N 77°48′E / 50.4°N 77.8°E | 280 m (920 ft) + 290 m (950 ft) | air drop, fundamental science |
160 t | [1][4][5][6][7] | |||
60 (Joe 53) | 20 March 1958 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50°24′N 77°48′E / 50.4°N 77.8°E | 280 m (920 ft) + 1,015 m (3,330 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
12 kt | [1][3][5][6][7][9] | |||
61 (Joe 54) | 21 March 1958 | MSK (3 hrs) |
NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 74°N 60°E / 74°N 60°E | 0 + 2,500 m (8,200 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
TN | 650 kt | [1][3][6][8] | ||
62 (Joe 55) | 22 March 1958 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50°24′N 77°48′E / 50.4°N 77.8°E | 280 m (920 ft) + 1,415 m (4,642 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
18 kt | [1][3][5][6][7][9] | |||
63 (Joe 56) | 30 September 1958 07:50:?? | MSK (3 hrs) |
NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 73°45′N 54°45′E / 73.75°N 54.75°E | 0 + 1,500 m (4,900 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
TN | 1.2 Mt | [1][3][6][8] | ||
64 (Joe 57) | 30 September 1958 09:55:?? | MSK (3 hrs) |
NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 73°24′N 55°00′E / 73.4°N 55°E | 0 + 2,500 m (8,200 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
TN | 900 kt | [1][6][8] | ||
65 (Joe 58) | 2 October 1958 08:00:?? | MSK (3 hrs) |
NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia ~ 73°N 55°E / 73°N 55°E | 0 + 1,620 m (5,310 ft) | atmospheric, weapons development |
TN | 290 kt | [1][3][6][8] | ||
66 (Joe 59) | 2 October 1958 09:01:?? | MSK (3 hrs) |
NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 73°38′N 57°30′E / 73.63°N 57.5°E | 0 + | atmospheric, fundamental science |
40 kt | [1][3][6][8] | |||
67 (Joe 60) | 4 October 1958 | MSK (3 hrs) |
NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia ~ 73°N 55°E / 73°N 55°E | 0 + 800 m (2,600 ft) | atmospheric, weapons development |
9 kt | [1][3][8] | |||
68 (Joe 61) | 5 October 1958 06:00:?? | MSK (3 hrs) |
NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia ~ 73°N 55°E / 73°N 55°E | 0 + 1,200 m (3,900 ft) | atmospheric, weapons development |
15 kt | [1][3][6][8] | |||
69 (Joe 62) | 6 October 1958 | MSK (3 hrs) |
NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia ~ 73°N 55°E / 73°N 55°E | 0 + 1,200 m (3,900 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
5.5 kt | [1][3][8] | |||
70 (Joe 63) | 10 October 1958 07:51:?? | MSK (3 hrs) |
NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 73°38′N 54°15′E / 73.63°N 54.25°E | 0 + | air drop, weapons development |
TN | 68 kt | [1][3][6][8] | ||
71 (Joe 64) | 12 October 1958 07:53:34 | MSK (3 hrs) |
NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 74°56′N 53°19′E / 74.93°N 53.32°E | 0 + | air drop, weapons development |
warhead-1 TN | 1.5 Mt | [1][3][6][8][10] | ||
72 (Joe 65) | 15 October 1958 07:51:14 | MSK (3 hrs) |
NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 74°00′N 51°48′E / 74°N 51.8°E | 0 + 2,150 m (7,050 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
TN | 1.5 Mt | [1][3][6][8][10] | ||
73 (Joe 66) | 18 October 1958 09:51:06 | MSK (3 hrs) |
NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 73°58′N 52°28′E / 73.97°N 52.47°E | 0 + | air drop, weapons development |
TN | 2.9 Mt | [1][3][6][8][10] | ||
75 (Joe 67) | 19 October 1958 | MSK (3 hrs) |
NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia ~ 73°N 55°E / 73°N 55°E | 0 + 900 m (3,000 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
less than 0.001 kt | [1][3][8] | |||
74 | 19 October 1958 07:27:?? | MSK (3 hrs) |
NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia ~ 73°N 55°E / 73°N 55°E | 0 + | air drop, fundamental science |
40 kt | [1][8][11] | A fizzle. | ||
76 (Joe 68) | 20 October 1958 08:20:?? | MSK (3 hrs) |
NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 73°35′N 54°18′E / 73.58°N 54.3°E | 0 + | air drop, weapons development |
TN | 440 kt | [1][3][6][8] | ||
77 (Joe 69) | 21 October 1958 | MSK (3 hrs) |
NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia ~ 73°N 55°E / 73°N 55°E | 0 + 570 m (1,870 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
2 kt | [1][3][8] | |||
78 (Joe 70) | 22 October 1958 08:21:04 | MSK (3 hrs) |
NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 73°32′N 53°06′E / 73.53°N 53.1°E | 0 + 2,070 m (6,790 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
TN | 2.8 Mt | [1][3][6][8][10] | ||
79 (Joe 71) | 24 October 1958 08:03:06 | MSK (3 hrs) |
NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 73°41′N 54°58′E / 73.68°N 54.97°E | 0 + 1,525 m (5,003 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
warhead-2 NGB? TN | 1 Mt | [1][3][6][8][10] | ||
81 | 25 October 1958 | MSK (3 hrs) |
NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia ~ 73°N 55°E / 73°N 55°E | 0 + 300 m (980 ft) | air drop, fundamental science |
50 t | [1][8] | |||
80 (Joe 72) | 25 October 1958 08:20:?? | MSK (3 hrs) |
NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 74°N 55°E / 74°N 55°E | 0 + 1,500 m (4,900 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
TN | 190 kt | [1][3][6][8][11] | ||
82 (Joe 73) | 1 November 1958 | URAT (5 hrs) |
Launch from Kapustin Yar, Astrakhan 48°34′10″N 45°54′12″E / 48.56956°N 45.90346°E, elv: 0 + 0 m (0 + 0 ft); Detonation over Western Kazakhstan ~ 49°18′N 48°00′E / 49.3°N 48°E |
N/A + 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) | high alt rocket (30–80 km), weapon effect |
10 kt | [1][3][6][8] | Fired after agreed upon end of testing, caused Eisenhower to formally abrogate unilateral test ban, but US maintained ban anyway. R-5M rocket. | ||
83 (Joe 74) | 3 November 1958 | URAT (5 hrs) |
Launch from Kapustin Yar, Astrakhan 48°34′10″N 45°54′12″E / 48.56956°N 45.90346°E, elv: 0 + 0 m (0 + 0 ft); Detonation over Western Kazakhstan ~ 49°18′N 48°00′E / 49.3°N 48°E |
N/A + 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) | high alt rocket (30–80 km), weapon effect |
10 kt | [1][3][6][8] | Fired after agreed upon end of testing, caused Eisenhower to formally abrogate unilateral test ban, but US maintained ban anyway. R-5M rocket. |