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Military History

The Cold War nuclear test that turned the sky crimson

Nicholas Slayton
15 March 2025
4 min
PME All levels

BLUF

In the early 1960s, the US military fired nuclear rockets into space to study electromagnetic pulses and their effects, creating a massive crimson aurora, blackouts in Hawaii, and heightened radiation that damaged satellites.
READ: The Cold War nuclear test that turned the sky crimson

References

  • Task & Purpose: High factual reporting 
  • Collections | The Runway (airforce.gov.au)
  • RAAF RUNWAY: RATIONALE, GUIDELINES, LEARNING OUTCOMES, ETC. 
 

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