| Operation Ranger | |
|---|---|
Ranger Able, 1 kiloton.
| |
| Information | |
| Country | United States |
| Test site | NTS Areas 5, 11, Frenchman Flat |
| Period | 1951 |
| Number of tests | 5 |
| Test type | free air drop |
| Max. yield | 22kilotonnes of TNT (92 TJ) |
| Test series chronology | |
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Operation Ranger was the fourth American nuclear test series. It was conducted in 1951 and was the first series to be carried out at the Nevada Test Site.[1] All the bombs were dropped by B-50D bombers and exploded in the open air over Frenchman Flat (Area 5).
These tests centered on the practicality of developing a second generation of nuclear weapons using smaller amounts of valuable nuclear materials. They were planned under the name Operation Faust.
The exact locations of the tests are unknown, as they were all air drops. However, the planned ground zero was set at 36°49′32″N 115°57′54″W / 36.82556°N 115.96500°W / 36.82556; -115.96500[2] for all except the Fox shot, which was "500 feet [150 m] west and 300 feet [91 m] south" in order to minimize damage to the control point.[3]
Footage of the Buster-Jangle Baker test is often mislabeled as belonging to the Ranger Able test. Both shots can be told apart because the Buster Baker test was conducted at Yucca Flat in the daytime, meanwhile Ranger Able was conducted at Frenchman Flat in the nighttime. No motion picture of Operation Ranger has ever been declassified.
The primary purpose of Operation Ranger was to perform experiments in preparation for Operation Greenhouse.[4] As the device to be tested in Greenhouse was in the stockpiling stage with respect to its high explosive system, it was felt that the entire test series could be performed using air dropped weapons.[5]
The test led to the establishment of the Nevada Proving Ground (later Nevada Test Site, now Nevada National Security Site or NNSS). Following this test series it was believed appropriate to conduct tests up to approximately 60 kilotonnes of TNT (250 TJ) at Nevada instead of at the Pacific Proving Ground.[6]
| Name [note 1] | Date time (UT) | Local time zone[note 2][7] | Location[note 3] | Elevation + height [note 4] | Delivery,[note 5] Purpose [note 6] |
Device[note 7] | Yield[note 8] | Fallout[note 9] | References | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Able | January 27, 1951 13:44:51.0 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area 5 ~ 36°49′36″N 115°57′32″W / 36.82664°N 115.95883°W / 36.82664; -115.95883 (Able) | 1,010 m (3,310 ft) + 323 m (1,060 ft) | free air drop, weapons development |
Mk-4, Type D | 1 kt | I-131 venting detected, 1.3 MCi (48 PBq) | [8][9][10][11][12][13] | First test over continental United States since Trinity. Testing compression against critical mass as inspired by the demon core. Often later used for a 1 kt calibrated explosion. See also Ranger Easy. |
| Baker 1 | January 28, 1951 13:52:04.5 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area 5 ~ 36°49′36″N 115°57′32″W / 36.82664°N 115.95883°W / 36.82664; -115.95883 (Baker) | 1,010 m (3,310 ft) + 329 m (1,079 ft) | free air drop, weapons development |
Mk-4, Type D, TOM Init | 8 kt | I-131 venting detected, 3.2 MCi (120 PBq) | [8][9][10][11][12][13] | Fractional critical core, TOM initiator. See also Ranger Easy. |
| Easy | February 1, 1951 13:46:39.5 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area 5 ~ 36°49′36″N 115°57′32″W / 36.82664°N 115.95883°W / 36.82664; -115.95883 (Easy) | 1,010 m (3,310 ft) + 329 m (1,079 ft) | free air drop, weapons development |
Mk-4, Type D | 1 kt | [8][9][10][11][12][13] | Testing compression against critical mass. | |
| Baker 2 | February 2, 1951 13:48:48.0 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area 5 ~ 36°49′36″N 115°57′32″W / 36.82664°N 115.95883°W / 36.82664; -115.95883 (Baker 2) | 1,010 m (3,310 ft) + 335 m (1,099 ft) | free air drop, weapons development |
Mk-4, Type D | 8 kt | [8][9][10][11][12][13] | Identical to Ranger Baker 1, test of reproducible results. See also Ranger Easy. | |
| Fox | February 6, 1951 13:46:55.0 | PST (–8 hrs) |
NTS Area 5 36°49′29″N 115°58′01″W / 36.82485°N 115.96708°W / 36.82485; -115.96708 (Fox) | 1,010 m (3,310 ft) + 437 m (1,434 ft) | free air drop, weapons development |
Mk-6 HOW, Type D "Freddy" | 22 kt | [8][9][10][11][12][13] | Proof Test of Mark 6 HOW "Fox" core. "500 ft west and 300 ft south of drop target used by other Ranger blasts, to avoid damage to the control point.". |
