In the last two decades, leaked papers have resurfaced about the top secret ‘Project A119’, originally devised in the late 1950s after the USSR launched Sputnik 1 — the first man-made satellite — into orbit. This marked a major turning point in the ‘space race’ between the USA and the USSR, as it suggested that the Soviets were significantly more advanced in aerospace science. More worryingly for Washington, the same rocket technology capable of placing an 83 kg satellite into orbit could also deliver a nuclear warhead across continents.
Although the USA and the USSR were geographically distant from one another, intercontinental ballistic missile technology was making physical distance increasingly irrelevant. If the Soviets possessed sufficient thrust to propel a satellite into orbit, they possessed more than enough power to strike the USA with a missile.
In response, the USA initiated Project Vanguard in 1957, an attempt to launch a smaller satellite into orbit. The first launch attempt on 6 December 1957 ended in disaster when the Vanguard TV-3 rocket rose barely two seconds before losing thrust and exploding on the launch pad. A second attempt on 5 February 1958, Vanguard TV-3BU, also failed when a malfunction in the second stage prevented the satellite from reaching orbit. After two unsuccessful launches, public confidence suffered badly. The American population felt humiliated, believing they had once more been overtaken by the USSR; the press surmised public feeling by attaching the moniker “Stayputnicks” to the rockets.
Determined to restore morale and reassert technological superiority, American officials considered a range of proposals. Some proved remarkably successful — most famously Apollo 11, which placed the first man on the Moon in 1969. Others were far more radical. Project A119 was among the most extraordinary.
In May 1958, a ten-man research team from the US Air Force met at the Armour Research Foundation in Illinois to assess the feasibility of detonating a nuclear device on the Moon. Their central questions were: “What would the scientific benefits be?” and “What damage would the explosion inflict on the Moon’s surface?”
The underlying motive was less scientific than political. American officials hoped that a visible nuclear detonation on the lunar surface would be seen from Earth, dramatically boosting domestic and international views of American technological supremacy. The proposal involved striking the dark side of the Moon so that sunlight would illuminate the explosion, making it visible from Earth.
Eventually, the researchers formulated a plan. A W25 nuclear warhead would be mounted on a rocket and directed towards the Moon, detonating upon impact. Sunlight reflecting off the resulting plume would, it was hoped, render the explosion visible to observers on Earth.
Yet grave concerns soon emerged. The Air Force ultimately cancelled the mission, concluding that the risks outweighed the potential benefits. First, the explosion would permanently scar the lunar surface, potentially complicating any future attempts to land on the Moon and conduct scientific research. Secondly, there remained the possibility of mission failure. If the missile missed its target, it might re-enter Earth’s gravitational field, posing an unacceptable risk to populated areas.
Until the Soviet Luna Two probe in 1959, no man-made object had ever reached the Moon. The technological uncertainties were immense. A failed launch or navigational error could have had catastrophic consequences.
Only a small number of documents relating to Project A119 have ever been declassified, and the precise date of its cancellation remains unclear. The research team was lead by Leonard Reiffel, of NASA fame later on, who publicly revealed the project’s existence in 2000. Another member of the team was Carl Sagan, then a young astronomer, who conducted research into the visibility of the explosion and its potential scientific implications.
When Reiffel disclosed how close the proposal had come to approval, many observers reflected on how profoundly it might have altered the course of space exploration. Some historians argue that a lunar nuclear detonation could have accelerated the militarisation of space. The USSR had reportedly considered a similar initiative, known as Project E4. Had either side proceeded, the Moon might have become another contested theatre in the Cold War.
Instead, restraint prevailed. The cancellation of Project A119 avoided what could have been lasting damage to the pristine lunar environment and preserved the possibility of peaceful exploration — culminating, little more than a decade later, in humanity’s first steps on the Moon.
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The Shocking Plan to Nuke the Moon (Project A119)
The crazy plan to explode a nuclear bomb on the Moon
Project A119 – “A Study of Lunar Research Flights” – The Black Vault