See also: List of nuclear weapons tests of the Soviet Union.
| 1961 | |
| Country: | Soviet Union |
| Test Site: | Degelen, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan; Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan; Kapustin Yar, Astrakhan; NZ Area A, Chyornaya Guba, Novaya Zemlya, Russia; NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia |
| Period: | 1961 |
| Number Of Tests: | 57 |
| Test Type: | air drop, atmospheric, barge, cruise missile, dry surface, high alt rocket (30 - 80 km), parachuted, tunnel, underwater |
| Max Yield: | 50MtTNT |
| Next Series: | Soviet Project K nuclear tests |
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.
| - !style="background:#ffdead;" | Name [1] !style="background:#efefef;" | Date time (UT) !style="background:#ffdead;" | Local time zone[2] [3] !style="background:#efefef;" | Location[4] !style="background:#ffdead;" | Elevation + height [5] !style="background:#efefef;" | Delivery, [6] Purpose [7] !style="background:#efefef;" | Device[8] !style="background:#ffdead;" | Yield[9] !style="background:#efefef;" class="unsortable" | Fallout[10] !style="background:#ffdead;" class="unsortable" | References !style="background:#efefef;" class="unsortable" | Notes | - ! 84 (Joe 75) | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50.4227°N 77.7231°W | 280m (920feet) + 660m (2,170feet) | air drop, weapons development | - ! 85 (Joe 76) | 05:00:27 | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50.45°N 77.74°W | 280m (920feet) + 725m (2,379feet) | air drop, weapons development | - ! 86 (Joe 77) | 06:00:05 | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50.45°N 77.74°W | 280m (920feet) + 710m (2,330feet) | air drop, weapons development | - ! 87 (Joe 78) | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50.4°N 77.8°W | 280m (920feet) + 685m (2,247feet) | air drop, weapons development | Study of weapon effects on radar. | - ! 88 Groza (Storm) (Joe 79) | MSK (3 hrs) | Launch from Kapustin Yar, Astrakhan 48.5696°N 45.9035°W, elv: 0m+0mm (00feet+00feetm); Detonation over Kapustin Yar, Astrakhan 48.4°N 45.8°W | 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 ~ 50.378°N 77.855°W | 280m (920feet) + 0 | dry surface, safety experiment | - ! 92 (Joe 81) | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50°N 78°W | N/A + 180m (590feet) | atmospheric, weapons development | - ! 90 Vozduj (Air) (Joe 80) | 09:00:09.2 | MSK (3 hrs) | NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia ~ 73.75°N 54.3°W | 0 + 2000m (7,000feet) | 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 71.6167°N 52.4783°W, elv: 30m+0mm (100feet+00feetm); Detonation over NZ Area A, Chyornaya Guba, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 70.7°N 54.6°W | N/A + 390m (1,280feet) | 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 ~ 50.4°N 77.8°W | 280m (920feet) + 690m (2,260feet) | 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 67.4644°N 64.3027°W, elv: 0m+0mm (00feet+00feetm); Detonation over NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 74.2°N 52.1°W | N/A + 1190m (3,900feet) | 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) 70°N 40°W, elv: 0m-30mm (00feet-100feetm); Detonation over NZ Area A, Chyornaya Guba, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 70.87°N 53.33°W | N/A + 250m (820feet) | 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 ~ 50.45°N 77.75°W | 280m (920feet) + 710m (2,330feet) | air drop, weapons development | - ! 97 | 05:59:59.4 | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan 50.35°N 77.82°W | 280m (920feet) + 0 | dry surface, weapons development | - ! 98 (Joe 86) | 09:56:16.7 | MSK (3 hrs) | Launch from Kola Peninsula Launch Area (Barents Sea) 70.5°N 39.5°W, elv: 0m-30mm (00feet-100feetm); Detonation over NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 74.6°N 51.1°W | N/A + 1700m (5,600feet) | 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 67.4644°N 64.3027°W, elv: 0m+0mm (00feet+00feetm); Detonation over NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia ~ 73.75°N 54.3°W | N/A + 1320m (4,330feet) | 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 ~ 50.45°N 77.75°W | 280m (920feet) + 695m (2,280feet) | air drop, weapons development | - ! 102 | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50.378°N 77.855°W | 280m (920feet) + 1m (03feet) | dry surface, safety experiment | - ! 103 | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50.4°N 77.8°W | N/A + | atmospheric, weapons development | - ! 101 (Joe 89) | 07:59:36.8 | MSK (3 hrs) | NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia ~ 73.75°N 54.3°W | 0 + 1500m (4,900feet) | air drop, weapons development | Khalturin believes this is a missile test from Chita. | - ! 104 (Joe 90) | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan 50.3782°N 77.8373°W | 280m (920feet) + 0 | dry surface, safety experiment | - ! 105 | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50.4°N 77.8°W | 280m (920feet) + 280m (920feet) | air drop, weapons development | - ! 106 Volga1 (Joe 91) | 08:12:12 | MSK (3 hrs) | Launch from NZ Area A, Chyornaya Guba, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 71.6167°N 52.4783°W, elv: 30m+0mm (100feet+00feetm); Detonation over NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia ~ 73.52°N 54.3°W | N/A + 1600m (5,200feet) | 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 ~ 50.4277°N 77.7231°W | 280m (920feet) + 110m (360feet) | air drop, weapons development | - ! 108 Volga2 (Joe 93) | 08:11:00 | MSK (3 hrs) | Launch from NZ Area A, Chyornaya Guba, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 71.6167°N 52.4783°W, elv: 30m+0mm (100feet+00feetm); Detonation over NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia ~ 73.52°N 54.3°W | N/A + 1300m (4,300feet) | 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 ~ 50.45°N 77.75°W | 280m (920feet) + 665m (2,182feet) | air drop, weapons development | - ! 110 | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50.4°N 77.8°W | 280m (920feet) + 700m (2,300feet) | air drop, weapons development | - ! 111 (Joe 94) | 10:30:50 | MSK (3 hrs) | NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 73.92°N 54.55°W | 0 + 1500m (4,900feet) | air drop, weapons development | - ! 112 (Joe 95) | 07:01:19.9 | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50.45°N 77.75°W | 280m (920feet) + 605m (1,985feet) | air drop, weapons development | - ! 113 (Joe 96) | 07:30:54.8 | MSK (3 hrs) | NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia ~ 73.75°N 54.3°W | 0 + 2100m (6,900feet) | 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 48.5696°N 45.9035°W, elv: 0m+0mm (00feet+00feetm); Detonation over Kapustin Yar, Astrakhan 48.45°N 44.3°W | 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 74.3°N 51.6°W | 0 + 2700m (8,900feet) | air drop, weapons development | - ! 116 (Joe 99) | MSK (3 hrs) | Launch from Kola Peninsula Launch Area (Barents Sea) 70.63°N 54.02°W, elv: 0m+20mm (00feet+70feetm); Detonation over NZ Area A, Chyornaya Guba, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 70.7°N 54.6°W | 30m (100feet) + 1450m (4,760feet) | 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 49.7699°N 77.9833°W | 724m (2,375feet) + | tunnel, fundamental science | First Soviet underground test. | - ! 118 (Joe 101) | 05:31:03.6 | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50.45°N 77.75°W | 280m (920feet) + 670m (2,200feet) | air drop, weapons development | - ! 119 (Joe 102) | 07:00:00.8 | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50.45°N 77.75°W | 280m (920feet) + 505m (1,657feet) | air drop, weapons development | - ! 120 (Joe 103) | 05:30:42.6 | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50.45°N 77.75°W | 280m (920feet) + 710m (2,330feet) | air drop, weapons development | - ! 121 Raduga (Rainbow) (Joe 104?) | 08:07:02.0 | MSK (3 hrs) | Launch from Kola Peninsula Launch Area (Barents Sea) 71°N 39°W, elv: 0m-30mm (00feet-100feetm); Detonation over NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 73.87°N 54.35°W | N/A + 530m (1,740feet) | 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 70.703°N 54.6°W | -33m (-108feet) – 25m (82feet) | 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 ~ 73.75°N 54.3°W | 0 + 3500m (11,500feet) | air drop, weapons development | - ! 125 | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50.4°N 77.8°W | 280m (920feet) + 500m (1,600feet) | air drop, fundamental science | - ! 124 (Joe 108) | 08:31:05 | MSK (3 hrs) | NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia ~ 73.75°N 54.3°W | 0 + 1450m (4,760feet) | 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 70.7418°N 54.6096°W | -1m (-03feet) + 1m (03feet) | 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 11km (07miles) distance, then broached and exploded just above the target. | - ! 129 | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50.4°N 77.8°W | 280m (920feet) + 470m (1,540feet) | air drop, weapons development | - ! 130 Tsar Bomba (Joe 111) | 08:33:27.8 | MSK (3 hrs) | NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia ~ 73.85°N 54.5°W | 0 + 4000m (13,000feet) | 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 73.53°N 58.92°W | 0 + 2200m (7,200feet) | air drop, weapons development | - ! 132 (Joe 113) | 08:38:?? | MSK (3 hrs) | NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 74.6°N 59.4°W | 0 + 1530m (5,020feet) | air drop, weapons development | - ! 133 (Joe 114) | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50.4277°N 77.7231°W | 280m (920feet) + 475m (1,558feet) | air drop, weapons development | - ! 135 (Joe 116) | MSK (3 hrs) | NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 75.2°N 57.5°W | 0 + 1500m (4,900feet) | air drop, weapons development | - ! 136 | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50.4°N 77.8°W | 280m (920feet) + 645m (2,116feet) | air drop, weapons development | - ! 134 (Joe 115) | 08:41:?? | MSK (3 hrs) | NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 74.6°N 55.4°W | 0 + 1400m (4,600feet) | air drop, weapons development | - ! 137 | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50.378°N 77.855°W | 280m (920feet) + 0 | dry surface, safety experiment | - ! 138 (Joe 117) | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50.4°N 77.8°W | 280m (920feet) + 635m (2,083feet) | air drop, weapons development | - ! 139 (Joe 118) | MSK (3 hrs) | NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 73.3°N 56.6°W | 0 + 1770m (5,810feet) | air drop, weapons development | - ! 141 | MSK (3 hrs) | NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia ~ 73°N 55°W | 0 + 2240m (7,350feet) | air drop, weapons development | - ! 142 | ALMT (6 hrs) | Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ 50.378°N 77.855°W | 280m (920feet) + 0 | dry surface, weapons development | - ! 140 (Joe 119) | 07:20:19.7 | MSK (3 hrs) | NZ Area C, Sukhoy Nos, Novaya Zemlya, Russia 73.6°N 56.8°W | 0 + 1750m (5,740feet) | air drop, weapons development |