1979–80 French nuclear tests
| 1979–1980 | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Country | France |
| Test site | Rim zone, Areas 1–2, Moruroa Atoll; Zoe and Yvonne Il., Areas 3–4, Moruroa Atoll |
| Period | 1979–1980 |
| Number of tests | 22 |
| Test type | underground shaft |
| Max. yield | 112 kilotonnes of TNT (470 TJ) |
| Test series chronology | |
The France's 1979–1980 nuclear test series was a group of 22 nuclear tests conducted in 1979–1980. These tests followed the 1975–1978 French nuclear tests series and preceded the 1981–1982 French nuclear tests series.
| Name | Date time (UT) | Local time zone | Location | Elevation + height | Delivery, Purpose |
Device | Yield | Fallout | References | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penthésilée | 1 March 1979 17:24:00 | TAHT (–10 hrs) |
Rim zone, Areas 1–2, Moruroa Atoll: Simone3 21°52′16″S 138°50′20″W / 21.87124°S 138.83877°W | 5 m (16 ft) + | underground shaft, weapons development |
8 kt | ||||
| Philoctète | 9 March 1979 16:37:00 | TAHT (–10 hrs) |
Rim zone, Areas 1–2, Moruroa Atoll: Francoise 6 21°47′37″S 138°51′23″W / 21.79352°S 138.85648°W | 5 m (16 ft) + | underground shaft, weapons development |
14 kt | ||||
| Agapénor | 24 March 1979 16:28:00.4 | TAHT (–10 hrs) |
Rim zone, Areas 1–2, Moruroa Atoll: Dahlia3 21°52′32″S 138°51′43″W / 21.87552°S 138.86182°W | 5 m (16 ft) + | underground shaft, weapons development |
8 kt | ||||
| Polydore | 4 April 1979 18:07:00.5 | TAHT (–10 hrs) |
Rim zone, Areas 1–2, Moruroa Atoll: Simone2 21°52′15″S 138°50′15″W / 21.87083°S 138.83756°W | 5 m (16 ft) + | underground shaft, weapons development |
6 kt | ||||
| Pyrrhos | 18 June 1979 23:27:00.7 | TAHT (–10 hrs) |
Rim zone, Areas 1–2, Moruroa Atoll: Queen2 21°51′24″S 138°49′04″W / 21.8568°S 138.81779°W | 5 m (16 ft) + | underground shaft, weapons development |
5 kt | ||||
| Egisthe | 29 June 1979 18:56:00.2 | TAHT (–10 hrs) |
Zoe and Yvonne Il., Areas 3–4, Moruroa Atoll: Viviane1 21°52′13″S 138°55′27″W / 21.87025°S 138.9242°W | 5 m (16 ft) + | underground shaft, weapons development |
28 kt | ||||
| Tydée | 25 July 1979 17:57:00 | TAHT (–10 hrs) |
Zoe and Yvonne Il., Areas 3–4, Moruroa Atoll: Ara1 21°52′59″S 138°58′26″W / 21.88307°S 138.9738°W | 5 m (16 ft) + | underground shaft, weapons development |
112 kt | 100 kt device got hung up in the shaft after descending 400 m (1,300 ft) of a planned 700 m (2,300 ft). It was exploded anyway, blowing a hole in the rim of the atoll. Six people in the Tuamotos were injured when the wall collapsed and started a tsunami. | |||
| Palamède | 28 July 1979 19:56:00.3 | TAHT (–10 hrs) |
Rim zone, Areas 1–2, Moruroa Atoll: Camelia3 21°48′09″S 138°50′46″W / 21.80241°S 138.846°W | 5 m (16 ft) + | underground shaft, weapons development |
5 kt | ||||
| Chrysotémis | 19 November 1979 17:53:00 | TAHT (–10 hrs) |
Rim zone, Areas 1–2, Moruroa Atoll: Edith4 21°47′09″S 138°51′59″W / 21.78585°S 138.86635°W | 5 m (16 ft) + | underground shaft, weapons development |
1 kt | ||||
| Atrée | 22 November 1979 19:14:13 | TAHT (–10 hrs) |
Rim zone, Areas 1–2, Moruroa Atoll: Simone4 21°52′04″S 138°49′52″W / 21.86778°S 138.83114°W | 5 m (16 ft) + | underground shaft, weapons development |
4 kt | ||||
| Thyeste | 23 February 1980 18:03:00 | TAHT (–10 hrs) |
Rim zone, Areas 1–2, Moruroa Atoll: Queen3 21°51′21″S 138°49′00″W / 21.85583°S 138.81671°W | 5 m (16 ft) + | underground shaft, weapons development |
2 kt | ||||
| Adraste | 3 March 1980 17:56:00 | TAHT (–10 hrs) |
Rim zone, Areas 1–2, Moruroa Atoll: Edith5 21°47′10″S 138°51′55″W / 21.78621°S 138.86537°W | 5 m (16 ft) + | underground shaft, weapons development |
5 kt | ||||
| Thésée | 23 March 1980 19:36:58.49 | TAHT (–10 hrs) |
Zoe and Yvonne Il., Areas 3–4, Moruroa Atoll: Ara2 21°53′00″S 138°58′03″W / 21.883328°S 138.967522°W | 5 m (16 ft) + | underground shaft, weapons development |
80 kt | ||||
| Boros | 1 April 1980 19:31:00.2 | TAHT (–10 hrs) |
Rim zone, Areas 1–2, Moruroa Atoll: Camelia4 21°48′15″S 138°50′36″W / 21.80415°S 138.84341°W | 5 m (16 ft) + | underground shaft, weapons development |
18 kt | ||||
| Pélops | 4 April 1980 18:33:00.1 | TAHT (–10 hrs) |
Rim zone, Areas 1–2, Moruroa Atoll: Dahlia4 21°52′32″S 138°51′32″W / 21.87542°S 138.85891°W | 5 m (16 ft) + | underground shaft, weapons development |
5 kt | ||||
| Euryphyle | 16 June 1980 18:26:58.56 | TAHT (–10 hrs) |
Zoe and Yvonne Il., Areas 3–4, Moruroa Atoll: Fuschia1 21°52′34″S 138°56′02″W / 21.87608°S 138.93399°W | 5 m (16 ft) + | underground shaft, weapons development |
26 kt | ||||
| Ilus | 21 June 1980 17:01:00 | TAHT (–10 hrs) |
Rim zone, Areas 1–2, Moruroa Atoll: Francoise7 21°47′40″S 138°51′21″W / 21.79451°S 138.85581°W | 5 m (16 ft) + | underground shaft, weapons development |
9 kt | ||||
| Chrysès | 6 July 1980 17:27:00.5 | TAHT (–10 hrs) |
Rim zone, Areas 1–2, Moruroa Atoll: Simone5 21°52′00″S 138°49′45″W / 21.86662°S 138.82906°W | 5 m (16 ft) + | underground shaft, weapons development |
5 kt | ||||
| Leda | 9 July 1980 18:03:?? | TAHT (–10 hrs) |
Rim zone, Areas 1–2, Moruroa Atoll: Dora6 21°46′55″S 138°52′31″W / 21.78208°S 138.87537°W | 5 m (16 ft) – 280 m (920 ft) | underground shaft, safety experiment |
no yield | ||||
| Asios | 19 July 1980 23:46:58.51 | TAHT (–10 hrs) |
Zoe and Yvonne Il., Areas 3–4, Moruroa Atoll: Ara3 21°53′00″S 138°57′55″W / 21.88346°S 138.96528°W | 5 m (16 ft) + | underground shaft, weapons development |
80 kt | ||||
| Laerte | 25 November 1980 17:53:00 | TAHT (–10 hrs) |
Rim zone, Areas 1–2, Moruroa Atoll: Ara4 21°53′01″S 138°57′34″W / 21.883544°S 138.95944°W | 5 m (16 ft) + | underground shaft, weapons development |
2 kt | ||||
| Diomède | 3 December 1980 17:32:58.48 | TAHT (–10 hrs) |
Zoe and Yvonne Il., Areas 3–4, Moruroa Atoll: Edith6 21°47′13″S 138°51′52″W / 21.78697°S 138.86437°W | 5 m (16 ft) + | underground shaft, weapons development |
TN-70 | 51 kt |