Editing Tsar Bomba (section)

== Test ==

{{Infobox Military Test Site
|name=Novaya Zemlya 
|image=Ivan bomb.png
|caption=Novaya Zemlya was the site of the world's largest nuclear explosion, the 60 Mt [[Tsar Bomba]]
|map={{infobox mapframe|type=point|coord={{Coord|73|48|26|N|54|58|54|E}}|zoom = 0|marker = viewpoint|frame-lat=40 |frame-long = 0 |frame-width=250|frame-height=200}}
|image_mapsize= 
|map_caption=Site of the detonation on [[Novaya Zemlya]]
|type=[[Nuclear testing|Nuclear test]] site
|site_area=land: {{convert|55200|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} <br />water: {{convert|36000|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}
|operator=[[Russia|Russian Federation]] (formerly [[Soviet Union]])
|status=Active
|dates=1955–present
|nuclear_tests=224
|subcritical_tests=not known
}}
[[Nikita Khrushchev]], the [[First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|first secretary of the Communist Party]], announced the upcoming tests of a 50-Mt bomb in his opening report at the [[22nd Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union]] on 17 October 1961.<ref name=Bogolov/> Before the official announcement, in a casual conversation, he told an American politician about the bomb, and this information was published on 8 September 1961, in ''[[The New York Times]]''.<ref name="Adamsky and Smirnov"/> The Tsar Bomba was tested on 30 October 1961.

The [[Tupolev Tu-95]]V aircraft No. 5800302 carrying the bomb took off from the [[Olenya (air base)|Olenya airfield]], and flew to State Test Site No. 6 of the USSR Ministry of Defense on [[Novaya Zemlya#Nuclear testing|Novaya Zemlya]]<ref name=Bogolov>Боголепов и Гостев, 08:57</ref> with a crew of nine:<ref name=Chernyshev>{{cite book| author=Chernyshev, A. K. |title=Record Soviet explosion: on the way to nuclear deterrence|publisher= VNIIEF |date= 2011}}</ref>

* Test pilot – Major [[Andrei Durnovtsev|Andrei Yegorovich Durnovtsev]]
* Lead navigator of tests – Major Ivan Nikiforovich Kleshch
* Second pilot – Captain Mikhail Konstantinovich Kondratenko
* Navigator-operator of the radar – Lieutenant Anatoly Sergeevich Bobikov
* Radar operator – Captain Alexander Filippovich Prokopenko
* Flight engineer – Captain Grigory Mikhailovich Yevtushenko
* Radio operator – Lieutenant Mikhail Petrovich Mashkin
* Gunner / radio operator – Captain Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Snetkov
* Gunner / radio operator – Corporal Vasily Yakovlevich Bolotov

The test was also attended by the [[Tupolev Tu-16]] laboratory aircraft, no. 3709, equipped for monitoring the tests, and its crew:<ref name=Chernyshev/>

* Leading test pilot – Lieutenant Colonel Vladimir Fyodorovich Martynenko
* Second pilot – Senior Lieutenant Vladimir Ivanovich Mukhanov
* Leading navigator – Major Semyon Artemievich Grigoryuk
* Navigator-operator of the radar – Major Vasily Timofeevich Muzlanov
* Gunner / radio operator – Senior Sergeant Mikhail Emelyanovich Shumilov

Both aircraft were painted with special reflective paint to minimize heat damage. Despite this, Durnovtsev and his crew were given only a 50% chance of surviving the test.<ref name="ctbto">{{cite web |title=30&nbsp;October 1961 – The Tsar Bomba |publisher=CTBTO Preparatory Commission |url=https://www.ctbto.org/specials/testing-times/30-october-1961-the-tsar-bomba/ |access-date=26 July 2016}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Dowling|first=Stephen|title=The monster atomic bomb that was too big to use| url=https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20170816-the-monster-atomic-bomb-that-was-too-big-to-use|access-date=2020-08-26|website=www.bbc.com|language=en}}</ref>

The bomb, weighing {{convert|27|t|ST|0}}, was so large ({{cvt|8|m}} long by {{cvt|2.1|m}} in diameter) that the Tu-95V had to have its [[bomb bay]] doors and fuselage [[fuel tank]]s removed.<ref name=atomicheritage>{{cite web |title=Tsar Bomba |url=https://www.atomicheritage.org/history/tsar-bomba |publisher=[[Atomic Heritage Foundation]] |access-date=29 July 2016}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> The bomb was attached to an {{convert|800|kg|adj=on}}, {{convert|1600|m2|adj=on}} [[parachute]], which gave the release and observer planes time to fly about {{cvt|45|km}} away from [[ground zero]], giving them a 50&nbsp;percent chance of survival.<ref name=":0" /> The bomb was released two hours after takeoff from a height of {{cvt|10500|m|0}} on a test target within [[Sukhoy Nos]]. The Tsar Bomba detonated at 11:32 (or 11:33; USGS earthquake monitors list the event as occurring at 11:33:31 <ref>{{cite web|url=https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/official19611031083331000_-4/executive|title=M 5.8 Nuclear Explosion - Novaya Zemlya, Russia|website=earthquake.usgs.gov}}</ref>) [[Moscow Time]] on 30 October 1961, over the [[Mityushikha Bay]] nuclear testing range (Sukhoy Nos Zone&nbsp;C), at a height of {{cvt|4200|m|0}} [[Height above mean sea level|ASL]] ({{cvt|4000|m|0}} above the target)<ref name="Sakharov memoirs" /><ref name="Nuclearweaponarchive.com" /><ref name="Adamsky and Smirnov" />{{refn|Some sources suggest {{cvt|3900|m|0}} ASL and {{cvt|3700|m|0}} above target, or {{cvt|4500|m|0}}.|group=Notes}} By this time the Tu-95V had already escaped to {{cvt|39|km}} away, and the Tu-16 {{cvt|53.5|km}} away. When detonation occurred, the [[shock wave]] caught up with the Tu-95V at a distance of {{cvt|115|km}} and the Tu-16 at {{cvt|205|km}}. After the shock wave reached the aircraft, the Tu-16 had its speed increased in a split second from 880 to 980 km/h, and dropped {{convert|800|m}} in the air due to the combination of the shock wave with exceptionally high air density [[rarefaction|drop]] immediately afterwards. However, both aircraft managed to recover and land safely.<ref name="ctbto" /> According to initial data, the Tsar Bomba had a nuclear yield of {{cvt|58.6|MtonTNT}} (exceeding what the design itself would suggest) and was overestimated at values all the way up to {{cvt|75|MtonTNT}}. Both aircraft had their frames burned-out black by the radiation in all parts exposed to the blast.

[[File:Tsar Bomba fireball.jpg|thumb|right|The Tsar Bomba's fireball, about {{cvt|8|km|mi|0}} wide at its maximum, was prevented from touching the ground by the shock wave, but reached nearly {{cvt|10.5|km|ft}} in the sky – the altitude of the deploying bomber.]]

Although simplistic [[effects of nuclear explosions|fireball]] calculations predicted it would be large enough to hit the ground, the bomb's own shock wave bounced back and prevented this.<ref name="nuclearweaponarchive"/> The {{convert|8|km|mi|-wide|adj=mid}} fireball reached nearly as high as the altitude of the release plane and was visible at almost {{cvt|1000|km}} away.<ref name="RichardtHülseweh2013">{{cite book |first1=Andre |last1=Richardt |first2=Birgit |last2=Hülseweh |first3=Bernd |last3=Niemeyer |first4=Frank |last4=Sabath |title=CBRN Protection: Managing the Threat of Chemical, Biological, Radioactive and Nuclear Weapons |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=di3b6nDwvq4C&pg=PT14 |access-date=4 August 2018 |date=1 March 2013 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-3-527-65018-7 |page=14}}</ref> The [[mushroom cloud]] was about {{cvt|67|km}} high<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Veselov |first=A.V. |title=Tsar-bomba |magazine=Atompress |year=2006 |volume=43 |issue=726 |page=7}}</ref> (nearly eight times the height of [[Mount Everest]]), which meant that the cloud was above the [[stratosphere]] and well inside the [[mesosphere]] when it peaked. The cap of the mushroom cloud had a peak width of {{cvt|95|km}} and its base was {{cvt|40|km}} wide.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.pravdareport.com/history/17-09-2009/109339-tsar_bomba-0/ |title=Tsar Bomba's blast wave orbited Earth three times in 1961 |date=17 September 2009 |work=[[Pravda]] |access-date=24 November 2016 |archive-date=25 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161125043146/http://www.pravdareport.com/history/17-09-2009/109339-tsar_bomba-0/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

A Soviet cameraman said:<blockquote> "The clouds beneath the aircraft and in the distance were lit up by the powerful flash. The sea of light spread under the hatch and even clouds began to glow and became transparent. At that moment, our aircraft emerged from between two cloud layers and down below in the gap a huge bright orange ball was emerging. The ball was powerful and arrogant like Jupiter. Slowly and silently it crept upwards ... Having broken through the thick layer of clouds it kept growing. It seemed to suck the whole Earth into it. The spectacle was fantastic, unreal, supernatural."<ref name="nuclearweaponarchive"/></blockquote>