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High-altitude nuclear explosions are the result ofnuclear weapons testing within the upper layers of theEarth's atmosphere and inouter space. Several such tests were performed at high altitudes by theUnited States and theSoviet Union between 1958 and 1962.

ThePartial Test Ban Treaty was passed in October 1963, ending atmospheric and exoatmospheric nuclear tests. TheOuter Space Treaty of 1967 banned the stationing of nuclear weapons in space, in addition to otherweapons of mass destruction. TheComprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty of 1996 prohibits all nuclear testing; whether over- or underground, underwater or in the atmosphere, but has yet to enter into force as it has not been ratified by some of the states party to the Treaty.

The strongelectromagnetic pulse (EMP) that results has several components. In the first few tenths of nanoseconds, about a tenth of a percent of the weaponyield appears as powerfulgamma rays with energies of one to threemega-electron volts (MeV, a unit of energy). The gamma rays penetrate the atmosphere and collide withair molecules, depositing their energy to produce huge quantities of positiveions andrecoil electrons (also known asCompton electrons). These MeV-energy Compton electrons then accelerate and spiral along the Earth's magnetic field lines. The resulting transient electric fields and currents generateelectromagnetic emissions in theradio frequency range of15MHz to250MHz. This high-altitude EMP occurs between 30 and 50 kilometers (19 and 31 miles) above the Earth's surface.The potential as ananti-satellite weapon became apparent in August 1958 duringHardtack Teak. The EMP observed at theApia Observatory atSamoa was four times more powerful than any created bysolar storms,^[1] while in July 1962 theStarfish Prime test damaged electronics inHonolulu andNew Zealand (approximately 1,300 kilometres (810 mi) away), fused 300 street lights onOahu (Hawaii), set off about 100burglar alarms, and caused the failure of amicrowaverepeating station onKauai, which cut off the sturdy telephone system from the other Hawaiian islands. The radius for an effective satellite kill for the Compton radiation produced by such a nuclear weapon in space was determined to be roughly 80 kilometres (50 mi). Further testing to this end was carried out, and embodied in aDepartment of Defense program,Program 437.^{[citation needed]}

There are problems with nuclear weapons carried over to testing and deployment scenarios, however. Because of the very large radius associated with nuclear events, it was nearly impossible to prevent indiscriminate damage to other satellites, including one's own satellites.Starfish Prime produced anartificial radiation belt in space that soon destroyed three satellites (Ariel,TRAAC, andTransit 4B all failed after traversing the radiation belt, whileCosmos V,Injun I andTelstar 1 suffered minor degradation, due to someradiation damage tosolar cells, etc.). Theradiation dose rate was at least 0.6Gy/day at four months afterStarfish for a well-shielded satellite or crewed capsule in apolar circular earth orbit, which caused NASA concern with regard to its crewed space exploration programs.^{[citation needed]}

In general, nuclear effects in space (or very high altitudes) have a qualitatively different display. While an atmospheric nuclear explosion has a characteristicmushroom-shaped cloud, high-altitude and space explosions tend to manifest a spherical 'cloud' until distorted byEarth's magnetic field. Thecharged particles resulting from the blast are accelerated along the Earth's magnetic field lines to create anauroral display at theconjugate point,^[2] which has led documentary makerPeter Kuran to characterize these detonations as 'therainbow bombs'. The visual effects of a high-altitude or space-based explosion may last longer than atmospheric tests, sometimes in excess of 30 minutes. Heat from theBluegill Triple Prime shot, at an altitude of 50 kilometers (31 miles), was felt by personnel on the ground atJohnston Atoll, and this test causedretina burns to two personnel atground zero who were not wearing their safety goggles.^{[citation needed]}

The Soviets detonated four high-altitude tests in 1961 and three in 1962. During theCuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, both the US and the USSR detonated several high-altitude nuclear explosions as a form of saber rattling.

The worst effects of a Soviet high-altitude test occurred on 22 October 1962, in theSoviet Project K nuclear tests (ABM System A proof tests) when a 300 kt missile-warhead detonated nearDzhezkazgan at 290-kilometre (180 mi) altitude. The EMP fused 570 kilometres (350 mi) of overhead telephone line with a measured current of2,500 A, started a fire that burned down theKaraganda power plant, and shut down 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) of shallow-buriedpower cables betweenTselinograd andAlma-Ata.^{[citation needed]}

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Mission	Date	Yield	Altitude
USHardtack I – (Operation Newsreel) –Johnston Atoll, Pacific Ocean
Yucca	28 April 1958	1.7 kt	26.2 km
Teak	1 August 1958	3.8 Mt	76.8 km
Orange	12 August 1958	3.8 Mt	34 km
USArgus – South Atlantic Ocean
Argus I	27 August 1958	1.7 kt	200 km
Argus II	30 August 1958	1.7 kt	240 km
Argus III	6 September 1958	1.7 kt	540 km
Soviet Union – 1961 tests –Kapustin Yar
Test #88	6 September 1961	10.5 kt	22.7 km
Test #115	6 October 1961	40 kt	41.3 km
Test #127	27 October 1961	1.2 kt	150 km
Test #128	27 October 1961	1.2 kt	300 km
US –Dominic I – (Operation Fishbowl) – Johnston Atoll, Pacific Ocean
Bluegill	3 June 1962	failed
Bluegill Prime	25 July 1962	failed
Bluegill Double Prime	15 October 1962	failed
Bluegill Triple Prime	26 October 1962	410 kt	50 km
Starfish	20 June 1962	failed
Starfish Prime[3]	9 July 1962	1.4 Mt	400 km
Checkmate	20 October 1962	7 kt	147 km
Kingfish	1 November 1962	410 kt	97 km
Tightrope	4 November 1962	<5 kt	30–80 km
Soviet Union –Project K – Kapustin Yar
Test #184	22 October 1962	300 kt	290 km
Test #187	28 October 1962	300 kt	150 km
Test #195	1 November 1962	300 kt	59 km

• Nuclear weapons testing
• Nuclear electromagnetic pulse
• Operation Argus
• Operation Fishbowl
• Outer Space Treaty
• Partial Test Ban Treaty
• Project Highwater
• Soviet Project K nuclear tests

• "High-altitude nuclear explosions"
• Peter Kuran'sNukes in Space: The Rainbow BombsArchived 2016-10-10 at theWayback Machine – documentary film from 1999
• United States high-altitude test experiences – A Review Emphasizing the Impact on the Environment
• Measured EMP waveform data and actual effects from high-altitude nuclear weapons tests by America and Russia
• American and British official analyses of photography from high-altitude nuclear explosions

US Government Films:

• Operation Argus
• Operation Dominic
• Starfish Prime
• Operation Fishbowl
• Operation Dominic – Christmas Island
• Operation Dominic – Johnston Island
• High-Altitude Effects – Phenomenology
• High-Altitude Effects – Systems Interference

• Nuclear weapons testing
• Exoatmospheric nuclear weapons testing
• Energy weapons

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