1954 Soviet nuclear tests
| 1954 | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Test site | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan; Orenburg, Russia |
| Period | 1954 |
| Number of tests | 10 |
| Test type | air drop, atmospheric, dry surface, tower |
| Max. yield | 62 kilotonnes of TNT (260 TJ) |
| Test series chronology | |
The Soviet Union's 1954 nuclear test series was a group of 10 nuclear tests conducted in 1954. These tests followed the 1953 Soviet nuclear tests series and preceded the 1955 Soviet nuclear tests series.
| Name | Date time (UT) | Local time zone | Location | Elevation + height | Delivery, Purpose |
Device | Yield | Fallout | References | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 (Joe 8) | 14 September 1954 06:33:?? | SVET (5 hrs) |
Orenburg, Russia 52°38′39″N 52°48′20″E / 52.64418°N 52.80547°E | + 350 m (1,150 ft) | air drop, military exercise |
RDS-3 | 40 kt | Detonation of a nuclear weapon as a part of a military exercise at Totsk, MoD test site, Orenburg Region to gain experience on nuclear warfare. Maneuvers by troops and armour near the hypocenter shortly afterwards. | ||
| 10 | 29 September 1954 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50°24′N 77°48′E / 50.4°N 77.8°E | 280 m (920 ft) + 210 m (690 ft) | atmospheric, weapons development |
200 t | ||||
| 11 | 1 October 1954 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50°24′N 77°48′E / 50.4°N 77.8°E | 280 m (920 ft) + 105 m (344 ft) | atmospheric, weapons development |
30 t | ||||
| 12 (Joe 9) | 3 October 1954 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50°24′N 77°48′E / 50.4°N 77.8°E | 280 m (920 ft) + 130 m (430 ft) | atmospheric, weapons development |
2 kt | ||||
| 13 (Joe 10) | 5 October 1954 03:00:?? | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan 50°24′58″N 77°44′24″E / 50.416°N 77.74°E | 280 m (920 ft) + 0 | dry surface, weapons development |
4 kt | ||||
| 14 (Joe 11) | 8 October 1954 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50°24′N 77°48′E / 50.4°N 77.8°E | 280 m (920 ft) + 275 m (902 ft) | atmospheric, weapons development |
800 t | ||||
| 15 | 19 October 1954 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan 50°22′19″N 77°49′30″E / 50.372°N 77.825°E | 280 m (920 ft) + 15 m (49 ft) | tower, weapons development |
RDS-9/T-5 | less than 0.001 kt | First Soviet fizzle. T-5 torpedo charge. | ||
| 16 (Joe 12) | 23 October 1954 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50°24′N 77°48′E / 50.4°N 77.8°E | 280 m (920 ft) + 410 m (1,350 ft) | atmospheric, weapons development |
RDS-3I | 62 kt | RDS-3 with improved initiator. | ||
| 17 (Joe 13) | 26 October 1954 | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50°24′N 77°48′E / 50.4°N 77.8°E | 280 m (920 ft) + 110 m (360 ft) | atmospheric, weapons development |
2.8 kt | ||||
| 18 (Joe 14) | 30 October 1954 04:00:?? | ALMT (6 hrs) |
Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan 50°24′58″N 77°44′24″E / 50.416°N 77.74°E | 280 m (920 ft) + 55 m (180 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
10 kt | Air dropped bomb, but with a very low height of burst. |