1958 Soviet nuclear tests

1958
1958
	Nuclear blast animation
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

The Soviet Union's 1958 nuclear test series 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.

Soviet Union's 1958 series tests and detonations
Name	Date time (UT)	Local time zone	Location	Elevation + height	Delivery, Purpose	Device	Yield	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 / 50.4; 77.8 (50 (Joe 44))	280 m (920 ft) + 400 m (1,300 ft)	air drop, weapons development		1.3 kt
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 / 50.4; 77.8 (51 (Joe 45))	N/A + 500 m (1,600 ft)	atmospheric, weapons development		500 t
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 / 74.3; 53.8 (52 (Joe 46))	0 + 2,500 m (8,200 ft)	air drop, weapons development	Product-49 TN R-12 Dvina Missile warhead	860 kt
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 / 74.4; 53.6 (53 (Joe 47))	0 + 2,500 m (8,200 ft)	air drop, weapons development	TN	250 kt
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 / 74.3; 54 (54 (Joe 48))	0 +	air drop, weapons development	Product-255 TN R-13 warhead	1.5 Mt
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 / 50.4; 77.8 (55 (Joe 49))	280 m (920 ft) + 475 m (1,558 ft)	air drop, weapons development		1.2 kt
unnumbered #2	13 March 1958	ALMT (6 hrs)	Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50°24′N 77°48′E / 50.4°N 77.8°E / 50.4; 77.8 (unnumbered #2)	280 m (920 ft) +	atmospheric,		less than 0.001 kt
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 / 50.4; 77.8 (56 (Joe 51))	280 m (920 ft) + 1,030 m (3,380 ft)	air drop, weapons development		35 kt
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 / 74.25; 54.33 (57 (Joe 50))	0 +	air drop, fundamental science		40 kt
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 / 50.4; 77.8 (58 (Joe 52))	280 m (920 ft) + 965 m (3,166 ft)	air drop, weapons development		14 kt
unnumbered #3	15 March 1958	ALMT (6 hrs)	Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50°24′N 77°48′E / 50.4°N 77.8°E / 50.4; 77.8 (unnumbered #3)	280 m (920 ft) +	atmospheric,		no yield
59	18 March 1958	ALMT (6 hrs)	Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50°24′N 77°48′E / 50.4°N 77.8°E / 50.4; 77.8 (59)	280 m (920 ft) + 290 m (950 ft)	air drop, fundamental science		160 t
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 / 50.4; 77.8 (60 (Joe 53))	280 m (920 ft) + 1,015 m (3,330 ft)	air drop, weapons development		12 kt
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 / 74; 60 (61 (Joe 54))	0 + 2,500 m (8,200 ft)	air drop, weapons development	Product-49 TN R-12 Missile warhead	650 kt
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 / 50.4; 77.8 (62 (Joe 55))	280 m (920 ft) + 1,415 m (4,642 ft)	air drop, weapons development		18 kt
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 / 73.75; 54.75 (63 (Joe 56))	0 + 1,500 m (4,900 ft)	air drop, weapons development	Product-49 TN R-12 Dvina missile warhead	1.2 Mt
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 / 73.4; 55 (64 (Joe 57))	0 + 2,500 m (8,200 ft)	air drop, weapons development	Product-49 TN R-12 missile warhead	900 kt
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 / 73; 55 (65 (Joe 58))	0 + 1,620 m (5,310 ft)	atmospheric, weapons development	TN	290 kt
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 / 73.63; 57.5 (66 (Joe 59))	0 +	atmospheric, fundamental science		40 kt
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 / 73; 55 (67 (Joe 60))	0 + 800 m (2,600 ft)	atmospheric, weapons development		9 kt
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 / 73; 55 (68 (Joe 61))	0 + 1,200 m (3,900 ft)	atmospheric, weapons development		15 kt
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 / 73; 55 (69 (Joe 62))	0 + 1,200 m (3,900 ft)	air drop, weapons development		5.5 kt
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 / 73.63; 54.25 (70 (Joe 63))	0 +	air drop, weapons development	TN	68 kt
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 / 74.93; 53.32 (71 (Joe 64))	0 +	air drop, weapons development	Product-255 TN R-13 missile warhead	1.5 Mt
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 / 74; 51.8 (72 (Joe 65))	0 + 2,150 m (7,050 ft)	air drop, weapons development	Product-255 TN R-13 Missile warhead	1.5 Mt
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 / 73.97; 52.47 (73 (Joe 66))	0 +	air drop, weapons development	RDS-46 TN R-7 Semyorka missile warhead	2.9 Mt
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 / 73; 55 (75 (Joe 67))	0 + 900 m (3,000 ft)	air drop, weapons development		less than 0.001 kt
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 / 73; 55 (74)	0 +	air drop, fundamental science		40 kt	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 / 73.58; 54.3 (76 (Joe 68))	0 +	air drop, weapons development	TN	440 kt
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 / 73; 55 (77 (Joe 69))	0 + 570 m (1,870 ft)	air drop, weapons development		2 kt
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 / 73.53; 53.1 (78 (Joe 70))	0 + 2,070 m (6,790 ft)	air drop, weapons development	RDS-46 TN R-7 Missile warhead	2.8 Mt
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 / 73.68; 54.97 (79 (Joe 71))	0 + 1,525 m (5,003 ft)	air drop, weapons development	Product-49 TN R-12 missile warhead	1 Mt
81	25 October 1958	MSK (3 hrs)	NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia ~ 73°N 55°E / 73°N 55°E / 73; 55 (81)	0 + 300 m (980 ft)	air drop, fundamental science		50 t
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 / 74; 55 (80 (Joe 72))	0 + 1,500 m (4,900 ft)	air drop, weapons development	TN	190 kt
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 / 48.56956; 45.90346 (Launch_82 (Joe 73)), elv: 0 + 0 m (0 + 0 ft); Detonation over Western Kazakhstan ~ 49°18′N 48°00′E / 49.3°N 48°E / 49.3; 48 (82 (Joe 73))	N/A + 12 kilometres (7.5 mi)	high alt rocket (30–80 km), weapon effect		10 kt	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 / 48.56956; 45.90346 (Launch_83 (Joe 74)), elv: 0 + 0 m (0 + 0 ft); Detonation over Western Kazakhstan ~ 49°18′N 48°00′E / 49.3°N 48°E / 49.3; 48 (83 (Joe 74))	N/A + 12 kilometres (7.5 mi)	high alt rocket (30–80 km), weapon effect		10 kt	Fired after agreed upon end of testing, caused Eisenhower to formally abrogate unilateral test ban, but US maintained ban anyway. R-5M rocket.