Nuking the Moon



Project A119, also known as A Study of Lunar Research Flights, was a top-secret plan developed in 1958 by the United States Air Force. The aim of the project was to detonate a nuclear bomb on the Moon, which would help in answering some of the mysteries in planetary astronomy and astrogeology. If the explosive device detonated on the surface, not in a lunar crater, the flash of explosive light would have been faintly visible to people on Earth with their naked eye, a show of force resulting in a possible boosting of domestic morale in the capabilities of the United States, a boost that was needed after the Soviet Union took an early lead in the Space Race and was also working on a similar project.

The project was never carried out, being cancelled primarily out of a fear of a negative public reaction, with the potential militarization of space that it would also have signified, and because a Moon landing would undoubtedly be a more popular achievement in the eyes of the American and international public alike. A similar project by the Soviet Union also never came to fruition.



Wikipedia page here.

     Posted By: Paul - Mon Jun 10, 2019
     Category: Antisocial Activities | Daredevils, Stuntpeople and Thrillseekers | Explosives | Frauds, Cons and Scams | Government | Mad Scientists, Evil Geniuses, Insane Villains | Spaceflight, Astronautics, and Astronomy | 1950s | North America | Russia





Comments
Hilarity ensues when a rocket with a live nuke malfunctions and falls back to earth...
Posted by Brian on 07/01/19 at 10:52 PM
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