1957 Soviet nuclear tests
| 1957 | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Test site | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan; NZ Area A, Chyornaya Guba, Novaya Zemlya, Russia; NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia; Western Kazakhstan |
| Period | 1957 |
| Number of tests | 16 |
| Test type | air drop, high alt rocket (30–80 km), tower, underwater |
| Max. yield | 2.9 megatonnes of TNT (12 PJ) |
| Test series chronology | |
The Soviet Union's 1957 nuclear test series was a group of 16 nuclear tests conducted in 1957. These tests followed the 1956 Soviet nuclear tests series and preceded the 1958 Soviet nuclear tests series.
| Name | Date time (UT) | Local time zone | Location | Elevation + height | Delivery, Purpose |
Device | Yield | Fallout | References | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 ZUR-215 (Joe 29) | 19 January 1957 | 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°30′N 48°00′E / 49.5°N 48°E |
N/A + 270 m (890 ft) | high alt rocket (30–80 km), weapon effect |
10 kt | First successful air nuclear explosion with missile launch for Kapustin Yar. The missile was the ZUR-215, later known as the R-5M. The test has become known by the name of the rocket. | |||
| 35 (Joe 30) | 8 March 1957 | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50°24′N 77°48′E / 50.4°N 77.8°E | 280 m (920 ft) + 610 m (2,000 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
19 kt | ||||
| 36 (Joe 31) | 3 April 1957 | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50°24′N 77°48′E / 50.4°N 77.8°E | 280 m (920 ft) + 1,100 m (3,600 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
42 kt | ||||
| 37 (Joe 32) | 6 April 1957 | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50°24′N 77°48′E / 50.4°N 77.8°E | 280 m (920 ft) + 1,145 m (3,757 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
57 kt | ||||
| 38 (Joe 33) | 10 April 1957 | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan 50°25′N 77°47′E / 50.42°N 77.78°E | 280 m (920 ft) + 2,000 m (6,600 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
TN | 680 kt | |||
| 39 (Joe 34) | 12 April 1957 | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50°24′N 77°48′E / 50.4°N 77.8°E | 280 m (920 ft) + 1,145 m (3,757 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
22 kt | ||||
| 40 (Joe 35) | 16 April 1957 | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50°24′N 77°48′E / 50.4°N 77.8°E | 280 m (920 ft) + 2,000 m (6,600 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
TN | 320 kt | |||
| 41 (Joe 36) | 22 August 1957 06:30:?? | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan 50°25′N 77°47′E / 50.42°N 77.78°E | 280 m (920 ft) + 1,880 m (6,170 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
TN | 520 kt | |||
| 42 | 26 August 1957 | 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) | air drop, safety experiment |
100 t | First test for nuclear weapons safety, but why dropped?. | |||
| 43 (Joe 37) | 7 September 1957 08:00:01.0 | MSK (3 hrs) | NZ Area A, Chyornaya Guba, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 70°43′24″N 54°41′47″E / 70.72333°N 54.6963°E | 2 m (6 ft 7 in) + 15 m (49 ft) | tower, fundamental science |
32 kt | The only surface test at NTSNZ, 320 ft (98 m) in from Guba Chernya bay. Study of anchored ship effects. GZ was quite contaminated, 40,000 R/hr. | |||
| 44 (Joe 38) | 13 September 1957 | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50°24′N 77°48′E / 50.4°N 77.8°E | 280 m (920 ft) + 780 m (2,560 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
5.9 kt | ||||
| 45 (Joe 39) | 24 September 1957 09:00:?? | MSK (3 hrs) | NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 73°48′N 55°24′E / 73.8°N 55.4°E | 0 + 2,000 m (6,600 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
TN | 1.6 Mt | First air test at NTSNZ; aerial bomb drop. | ||
| 46 (Joe 40) | 26 September 1957 05:00:?? | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50°24′N 77°48′E / 50.4°N 77.8°E | 280 m (920 ft) + 2,000 m (6,600 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
13 kt | ||||
| 47 (Joe 41) | 6 October 1957 09:00:?? | MSK (3 hrs) | NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 73°48′N 55°00′E / 73.8°N 55°E | 0 + 2,120 m (6,960 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
RDS-46A/R-7 TN | 2.9 Mt | |||
| 48 (Joe 42) | 10 October 1957 06:54:32 | MSK (3 hrs) | NZ Area A, Chyornaya Guba, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 70°42′11″N 54°36′00″E / 70.703°N 54.6°E | 0–20 m (66 ft) | underwater, weapon effect |
RDS-9/T-5 torpedo. | 6 kt | Launched underwater by B-130 submarine "some distance" from Guba Chernaya. Very low residual radiation. | ||
| 49 (Joe 43) | 28 December 1957 | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50°24′N 77°48′E / 50.4°N 77.8°E | 280 m (920 ft) + 615 m (2,018 ft) | air drop, weapons development |
12 kt |