U.S. Planned On Detonating Nuke On the Moon

[davekill]

Another bone-head Cold War idea your grandparents may have thought up has resurfaced in the news.

Fortunately, the United States realized that nuking an orbiting planetary body for no particular reason might cross the line between "illustrating our technical prowess" and "cartoonish supervillainy."

http://washington.cbslocal.com/2012/11/26/report-u-s-planned-on-blowing-up-moon-with-nuke-during-cold-war-in-1950s/

WASHINGTON (CBSDC/AP) — Would Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin even had a moon to walk on if the United States had its way in the 1950s?
During the height of the Cold War, U.S. officials debated whether to detonate nuclear bomb on the moon in order to send a message to the Soviet Union, the Asian News International reports.

The secret project dubbed, "A Study of Lunar Research Flights" and nicknamed "Project A119," was seriously being considered until it was scrapped because military officials were worried it would hurt the people on Earth.
The Daily Mail reports that astronomer Carl Sagan's calculations were used regarding the dust and gas the blast would generate. The website also states that physicist Leonard Reiffel told the Associated Press in an interview in 2000 that a U.S. nuclear flash from Earth might have "intimidated" the Soviets.
The plan consisted of carrying a nuclear device some 238,000 miles to the moon on a missile that would have detonated on impact.
The Air Force declined comment to the AP on the report.

[Bromptonboy]

Sounds like one of Dr. Strangelove's ideas....   ;)

[ChrisMC]

I just heard Brian Williams talk about this on the news...sounds like an Onion story!

[davekill]

I just heard Brian Williams talk about this on the news...sounds like an Onion story!

Lol!, that was totally nuts too, propel a space craft on a series of nuclear explosions.

Almost as bad - Eisenhower's Highway commissioner had briefly considered cutting a path through the rocky mountains for the new interstate highway system with nukes.

[Bromptonboy]

We would show 'Them lunar bums' on the moon who is boss!  ;)

[Feathers]

What use are the toys if you can't play with them :)

[Bromptonboy]

I hope they intended to detonate the bomb on the other side of the moon from Moon Base Alpha.  Was Gerry Anderson working for the Defense Dept around this time I wonder?  :)

[Rico]

Exactly Pete!  I mean did they really want this to happen?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6AeumXb2Zc#ws