Attachment 9 Excerpt from History of Air Force Atomic Cloud Sampling, January, 1963, pp. 288-290. SECRET AFSC HISTORICAL PUBLICATION SERIES 61-142-1 GIF HISTORY OF AIR FORCE ATOMIC CLOUD SAMPLING NARRATIVE JANUARY 1963 DECLASSIFIED BY ______________________ GIF SIGNATURE ____________________________ EXCLUDED FROM AUTOMATIC REGRADING, DOD DIR 5200.10 DOES NOT APPLY SWEH-2-0034 SECRET RESTRICTED DATA ATOMIC ENERGY ACT ILLEGIBLE 1954 (f) Convert to WB-47/WC-130 operations as soon as aircraft can be made available. Thus was set in motion the sequence of events which led up to the operations known as MUSIC MAN and CROW FLIGHT as well as the air sampling operations which made it possible to detect foreign nuclear blasts; to determine the yield of those blasts, the efficiency of the device tested and even the mechanical and physical means used to cause the detonation. KIWI During the summer and early, 1960, tests of two nuclear powered reactors under Project ROVER, KIWI A-PRIME and KIWI III were conducted by the Atomic Energy Commission-Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. Despite much and repeated delays, when the reactors finally operated, the B-57 crews of the 4926th accomplished sampling missions with no operation difficulties.44 For the sampling of KIWI A-PRIME, a trail formation, race- track pattern sampling technique was used. Following the firing of the first jet-assisted takeoff, the airborne control aircraft orbiting in the area adjacent to the reactor test cell informed the four sampler aircraft to commence the sampling operation as soon as the exhaust cloud reached a minimum safe altitude. This was determined to be approximately 6,000 feet means sea level, or 2,000 over the reactor. The jet-assisted takeoff fired in banks of five at one minute intervals for a period of the nine minutes. During this time, the expelled hydrogen was ignited by the acetylene flare as it left the nozzle of the reactor and forced the exhaust and smoke 288 SWEH-2-0034 aloft to an altitude of approximately 3,000 feet above the reactor. The wind being relatively calm, the smoke cloud hovered over the reactor for a short time, then started to drift off in a northeasterly direction. The jet smoke was the only means used to identify the exhaust cloud and debris. During "runs" by the sampler aircraft, the pilots relayed the radiation level and dosage readings from cockpit instruments to the airborne control aircraft. These were noted and monitored by the scientific controller riding in the rear cockpit of the control aircraft. Upon dissipation of the identifying cloud, the samplers continued to track the exhaust debris by cockpit instrumentation until they could collect no further samples. After approximately five minutes at high power, the fuel modules in the reactor started to deteriorated and expel large pieces of carbon from the nozzle. The pieces were propelled approximately 300 feet into the air and then fell to the ground around the reactor. There was no contact of these pieces with the sampler aircraft. It was decided on a follow-up meeting with the KIWI test director that these fuel elements had an extremely high radiation count. In the event one of these elements was ingested by a jet engine or adhered to the airframe, except fuselage cockpit area, the aircraft would have to be abandoned by the aircrew within five minutes or suffer unduly high radiation dosage. Preventive measures were followed to preclude contact with these or similar expelled parts of the reactor.45 During KIWI III, sampling procedures were similar, except that pilots flew at not less than 750 feet above the reactor and 750 feet to one side 289 SWEH-2-0034 to avoid any possible contact with the solid debris. The Special Weapons Center approved a spare B-57 for use as a neutron filed sampler, at no charge to the Atomic Energy Commission. Neutron radiation dosages were unrecorded because of the instantaneous nature of such emanations. That source of radiation had been discovered by analysis of the standard beta- gamma film badge and the neutron field did not exist during the critical operation of the reactor. Further, there were no standards nor basis of comparison to establish dosage limitations for the exposed aircrews. "All criteria and standards established by Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory were met or exceeded." the notation in the project officer's management report commented.46 SUNDAY PUNCH the 4926th Test Squadron (Sampling) conducted sampling surveillance in support of the Technical Applications Center enlarged mission under the code name of SUNDAY PUNCH, a part of the larger Project CREWCUT. The operation had six missions, each conducted with three B-57 samplers. Both the 4926th and the 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing Supplied aircraft and crews. Conducted in close cooperation with the Technical Applications Center Western Field Office, each of the sampling squadrons accomplished half of the sampling missions. Samples were taken at altitudes of 15,000 feet, 25,000 feet, and 40,000 feet and at three levels above 40,000 feet; the 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance conducted sampling at the higher levels because it had the B-57D aircraft. Samples were made at approximately 35 degrees north 290 SWEH-2-0034