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The video of the test of the Soviet thermonuclear "Tsar Bomba" with a capacity of 50 megatons has been declassified


Cold War and the time of active buildupnuclear potential remained in the distant past. Gradually declassified materials of tests of super-powerful nuclear bombs show what a formidable weapon could be used in the event of a war between the nuclear powers. Recently, the state corporation Rosatom provided the public with a declassified video report on the testing of the most powerful Soviet hydrogen bomb in history, dubbed the Tsar Bomb. An air explosion was carried out in the atmosphere on Novaya Zemlya on October 30, 1961.

The hydrogen bomb test was carried out inin accordance with the Soviet doctrine of the creation of super-powerful nuclear charges. At the disposal of the head of the Soviet government Nikita Khrushchev in July 1961, the task was to create a bomb with a capacity of 100 megatons. For reference, a bomb with a capacity of up to 18 kilotons was detonated over Hiroshima, and up to 21 kilotons over Nagasaki. A 50 megaton bomb was created for testing in October. In 1954, the Americans tested a 15 megaton bomb. Until now, the "Tsar Bomba" tested in the USSR remains the absolute record holder.

The official name of the super-powerful nuclear chargetested at the Novaya Zemlya test site - RDS-220. The bomb had a mass of 27 tons and a length of 7.9 meters. The strategic bomber Tu-95 was chosen as the carrier. The dimensions of the "Tsar Bomba" did not allow placing it inside the aircraft, and it was decided to fix it on external suspensions.


The "King of the Bomb" was dropped by parachute, whichallowed the bomber to fly out of the affected area. The charge was detonated at an altitude of 4.2 km. A special reconnaissance aircraft recorded the action of the shock wave at a distance of 205 km from the epicenter, and the Tu-95 was overtaken by the shock wave at a distance of 115 km from the point of explosion.

The test was carried out on a deserted landfill, andthere were no casualties. According to analysts, if a bomb were detonated over Washington, the capital of the potential enemy of the USSR, the number of victims would exceed 2.2 million people.


Two years later, in 1963, the nuclear powers decided not to test nuclear charges in the atmosphere. According to experts, such a move was accelerated by the stunning results of the "King of the Bomb" explosion.

Source: popularmechanics