In 1957, the Soviet Union astonished the world by launching the artificial satellite Sputnik into orbit, at a time when American rocket manufacturers were still grappling with the complex structures of their launch systems.
In their initial attempt, the rocket exploded right on the launch pad. Nearly four months after Sputnik, and three months after the Soviet satellite Sputnik 2 sent the first living creature, the dog Laika, into space, the United States successfully launched its first satellite, Explorer 1, on January 31, 1958. This satellite weighed only 14 kg, while Sputnik weighed 83.6 kg and was the most powerful rocket ever designed at that time.
Simulation of a bomb explosion on the Moon’s surface. (Photo: All that is interesting).
Clearly, the Soviet Union was ahead in the space race, and the United States sought an achievement that could bolster their position. American authorities contemplated the possibility of sending a nuclear bomb to the Moon and detonating it for the world to witness. This led to the inception of Project A119, according to Amusing Planet.
Immediately, a group of physicists and scientists was mobilized to study the visibility of the explosion from Earth. This was the primary research goal, alongside other concerns such as whether such an explosion could harm the Moon’s environment. They determined that the bomb would be detonated in the twilight zone so that sunlight would illuminate the dust cloud formed by the explosion, making it visible from Earth. The famous astronomer and planetary scientist Carl Sagan, then a graduate student under Gerard Kuiper, was also part of the research team. He was tasked with creating a mathematical model of the expansion of the dust cloud in the space around the Moon.
Initially, experts considered using a thermonuclear bomb but concluded it was too heavy for the 386,243 km journey to the Moon. Instead, a smaller device with a relatively low yield of 1.7 kilotons was chosen. In comparison, the Little Boy bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945 had a yield of 13 to 18 kilotons. Work on Project A119 continued until January 1959 and was abruptly halted. A119 became a top-secret project, and all project members were sworn to secrecy about the mission.
The existence of Project A119 remained a secret until the mid-1990s when writer Keay Davidson uncovered the story while researching Carl Sagan’s life for a biography. Sagan mentioned some details of the project and was accused of compromising national security when applying for a scholarship at the University of California in 1959. Many details about the project became clear in 2000 shortly after Carl Sagan’s biography was published and physicist Leonard Reiffel, who directed the research, shared insights with the media.
“If they had proceeded with the project, we would never have the historic images of Neil Armstrong taking ‘one giant leap for mankind,'” emphasized Dr. David Lowry, a British nuclear historian.
