The Soviet Union's 1961 nuclear test series was a group of 57 nuclear tests conducted in 1961. These tests followed the 1958 Soviet nuclear tests series and preceded the Soviet Project K nuclear tests series.
+ Soviet Union's 1961 series tests and detonations Name The US, France and Great Britain have code-named their test events, while the USSR and China did not, and therefore have only test numbers (with some exceptions – Soviet peaceful explosions were named). Word translations into English in parentheses unless the name is a proper noun. A dash followed by a number indicates a member of a salvo event. The US also sometimes named the individual explosions in such a salvo test, which results in "name1 – 1(with name2)". If test is canceled or aborted, then the row data like date and location discloses the intended plans, where known. Date time (UT) Local time zoneTo convert the UT time into standard local, add the number of hours in parentheses to the UT time; for local daylight saving time, add one additional hour. If the result is earlier than 00:00, add 24 hours and subtract 1 from the day; if it is 24:00 or later, subtract 24 hours and add 1 to the day. Historical time zone data obtained from the IANA time zone database. LocationRough place name and a latitude/longitude reference; for rocket-carried tests, the launch location is specified before the detonation location, if known. Some locations are extremely accurate; others (like airdrops and space blasts) may be quite inaccurate. "~" indicates a likely pro-forma rough location, shared with other tests in that same area. Elevation + height Elevation is the ground level at the point directly below the explosion relative to sea level; height is the additional distance added or subtracted by tower, balloon, shaft, tunnel, air drop or other contrivance. For rocket bursts the ground level is "N/A". In some cases it is not clear if the height is absolute or relative to ground, for example, Plumbbob/John. No number or units indicates the value is unknown, while "0" means zero. Sorting on this column is by elevation and height added together. Delivery,Atmospheric, airdrop, balloon, gun, cruise missile, rocket, surface, tower, and barge are all disallowed by the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Sealed shaft and tunnel are underground, and remained useful under the PTBT. Intentional cratering tests are borderline; they occurred under the treaty, were sometimes protested, and generally overlooked if the test was declared to be a peaceful use.Purpose Include weapons development, weapon effects, safety test, transport safety test, war, science, joint verification and industrial/peaceful, which may be further broken down. DeviceDesignations for test items where known, "?" indicates some uncertainty about the preceding value, nicknames for particular devices in quotes. This category of information is often not officially disclosed. YieldEstimated energy yield in tons, kilotons, and megatons. A ton of TNT equivalent is defined as 4.184 gigajoules (1 gigacalorie). FalloutRadioactive emission to the atmosphere aside from prompt neutrons, where known. The measured species is only iodine-131 if mentioned, otherwise it is all species. No entry means unknown, probably none if underground and "all" if not; otherwise notation for whether measured on the site only or off the site, where known, and the measured amount of radioactivity released. References Notes 84 (Joe 75)
ALMT (6 hrs) Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ + air drop,weapons development
85 (Joe 76) 05:00:27 ALMT (6 hrs) Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ + air drop,weapons development
86 (Joe 77) 06:00:05 ALMT (6 hrs) Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ + air drop,weapons development
87 (Joe 78)
ALMT (6 hrs) Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ + air drop,weapons development
Study of weapon effects on radar. 88 Groza (Storm) (Joe 79)
MSK (3 hrs) Launch from Kapustin Yar, Astrakhan , elv: ;Detonation over Kapustin Yar, Astrakhan N/A + high alt rocket (30–80 km),weapon effect R-12?
R-5M rocket launch from Kapustin Yar. Probable ABM test. 89
ALMT (6 hrs) Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ + 0 dry surface,safety experiment
92 (Joe 81)
ALMT (6 hrs) Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ N/A + atmospheric,weapons development
90 Vozduj (Air) (Joe 80) 09:00:09.2 MSK (3 hrs) NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia ~ 0 + air drop,weapons development
Dropped by TU-95 from Olenya AF in the Kola Peninsula. Dropped over Battlefield D-2, near Mityushika Bay. 91 (Joe 82) 11:00:?? MSK (3 hrs) Launch from NZ Area A, Chyornaya Guba, Novaya Zemlya, Russia , elv: ;Detonation over NZ Area A, Chyornaya Guba, Novaya Zemlya, Russia N/A + high alt rocket (30–80 km),weapons development
Launched on R-11M. Named "Volga" in one source, not connected with Volga series later on. 93
ALMT (6 hrs) Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ + air drop,weapons development
R-12 missile from Novaya Zemlya. 94 Roza1 (Rose) (Joe 83) 10:08:15.3 MSK (3 hrs) Launch from Komi, Russia , elv: ;Detonation over NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia N/A + high alt rocket (30–80 km),weapons development Product 49 TN
R-13 launched from Vorkuta Sovietski Air base. Probable ABM test. Airburst over water in Mitushika Bay. 95 (Joe 85)
MSK (3 hrs) Launch from Kola Peninsula Launch Area (Barents Sea) , elv: ;Detonation over NZ Area A, Chyornaya Guba, Novaya Zemlya, Russia N/A + high alt rocket (30–80 km),weapons development
Live nuclear tipped missile test, across the sea to land. 96 (Joe 84) 05:01:55.8 ALMT (6 hrs) Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ + air drop,weapons development
97 05:59:59.4 ALMT (6 hrs) Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan + 0 dry surface,weapons development
98 (Joe 86) 09:56:16.7 MSK (3 hrs) Launch from Kola Peninsula Launch Area (Barents Sea) , elv: ;Detonation over NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia N/A + high alt rocket (30–80 km),weapons development
Kola Sea to Mitskuya Bay, R-13 ballistic missile live test. 99 Roza2 (Rose) (Joe 87) 09:08:13.7 MSK (3 hrs) Launch from Komi, Russia , elv: ;Detonation over NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia ~ N/A + high alt rocket (30–80 km),weapons development Product 49 TN
Launched on an R-12 rocket from Vorkuta Sovietski Air base. Probable ABM test. One source says launch from Kola. 100 (Joe 88) 07:00:46.6 ALMT (6 hrs) Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ + air drop,weapons development
102
ALMT (6 hrs) Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ + dry surface,safety experiment
103
ALMT (6 hrs) Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ N/A + atmospheric,weapons development
101 (Joe 89) 07:59:36.8 MSK (3 hrs) NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia ~ 0 + air drop,weapons development
Khalturin believes this is a missile test from Chita. 104 (Joe 90)
ALMT (6 hrs) Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan + 0 dry surface,safety experiment
105
ALMT (6 hrs) Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ + air drop,weapons development
106 Volga1 (Joe 91) 08:12:12 MSK (3 hrs) Launch from NZ Area A, Chyornaya Guba, Novaya Zemlya, Russia , elv: ;Detonation over NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia ~ N/A + high alt rocket (30–80 km),weapons development
Launched on R-11M rocket launched from Rogachevo airbase in the NTR. Probable ABM test. 107 (Joe 92) 14:01:01.6 ALMT (6 hrs) Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ + air drop,weapons development
108 Volga2 (Joe 93) 08:11:00 MSK (3 hrs) Launch from NZ Area A, Chyornaya Guba, Novaya Zemlya, Russia , elv: ;Detonation over NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia ~ N/A + high alt rocket (30–80 km),weapons development
Launched on R-11M rocket launched from Rogachevo airbase in the NTR. Probable ABM test. 109 07:01:19.8 ALMT (6 hrs) Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ + air drop,weapons development
110
ALMT (6 hrs) Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ + air drop,weapons development
111 (Joe 94) 10:30:50 MSK (3 hrs) NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 0 + air drop,weapons development
112 (Joe 95) 07:01:19.9 ALMT (6 hrs) Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ + air drop,weapons development
113 (Joe 96) 07:30:54.8 MSK (3 hrs) NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia ~ 0 + air drop,weapons development
Some sources (Khalturin) believe this was an ICBM test launched from Chita. 115 Grom (Thunder) (Joe 98)
MSK (3 hrs) Launch from Kapustin Yar, Astrakhan , elv: ;Detonation over Kapustin Yar, Astrakhan N/A + high alt rocket (30–80 km),weapon effect
Rocket launched from Kapustin Yar, to exlode above West Kazakhstan. Probable ABM test. 114 (Joe 97) 07:00:12.2 MSK (3 hrs) NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 0 + air drop,weapons development
116 (Joe 99)
MSK (3 hrs) Launch from Kola Peninsula Launch Area (Barents Sea) , elv: ;Detonation over NZ Area A, Chyornaya Guba, Novaya Zemlya, Russia + cruise missile,weapons development KSR-2 warhead
KSR-2 air-to-ship cruise missile. No information on launcher, all that is a guess. 117 (Joe 100) 07:39:59.9 ALMT (6 hrs) Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan: V-1 + tunnel,fundamental science
First Soviet underground test. 118 (Joe 101) 05:31:03.6 ALMT (6 hrs) Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ + air drop,weapons development
119 (Joe 102) 07:00:00.8 ALMT (6 hrs) Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ + air drop,weapons development
120 (Joe 103) 05:30:42.6 ALMT (6 hrs) Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ + air drop,weapons development
121 Raduga (Rainbow) (Joe 104?) 08:07:02.0 MSK (3 hrs) Launch from Kola Peninsula Launch Area (Barents Sea) , elv: ;Detonation over NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia N/A + high alt rocket (30–80 km),weapons development R-13 warhead?
An R-13 rocket fired from a submarine in the Barents Sea towards Novaya Zemlya. 122 Korall 1 (Coral) (Joe 107) 08:31:22.1 MSK (3 hrs) NZ Area A, Chyornaya Guba, Novaya Zemlya, Russia – underwater,weapon effect RDS-9
Nuclear torpedo, fired by B–130 by Captain Rank 3 NA Shumkov in Chornaya Bay, ran underwater for 12.5 km distance. 123 (Joe 106) 10:30:47.0 MSK (3 hrs) NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia ~ 0 + air drop,weapons development
125
ALMT (6 hrs) Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ + air drop,fundamental science
124 (Joe 108) 08:31:05 MSK (3 hrs) NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia ~ 0 + air drop,weapons development
126 Korall 2 (Coral) (Joe 110) 08:30:27.6 MSK (3 hrs) NZ Area A, Chyornaya Guba, Novaya Zemlya, Russia + barge,weapon effect RDS-9
Test of nuclear torpedo, fired by B–130 by Captain Rank 3 N.A. Shumkov in Chornaya Bay, ran underwater for distance, then broached and exploded just above the target. 129
ALMT (6 hrs) Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ + air drop,weapons development
130 Tsar Bomba (Joe 111) 08:33:27.8 MSK (3 hrs) NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia ~ 0 + parachuted,weapons development RDS-220
Largest man-made detonation ever. Cleanest weapon ever tested; 97% energy from fusion. Full yield degraded by at least half. Dropped from a heavily modified Tu-95 Bear bomber, pilot A. E. Durnovtsev. One injury on ground. 131 (Joe 112) 08:29:17.2 MSK (3 hrs) NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 0 + air drop,weapons development
132 (Joe 113) 08:38:?? MSK (3 hrs) NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 0 + air drop,weapons development
133 (Joe 114)
ALMT (6 hrs) Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ + air drop,weapons development
135 (Joe 116)
MSK (3 hrs) NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 0 +