{"type":"programs","slug":"1962-operation-fishbowl","title":"Operation Fishbowl","url":"https://disclosdex.com/programs/1962-operation-fishbowl","description":"High-altitude nuclear tests in 1962 studying missile effects, highlighted by Starfish Prime and Bluegill Triple Prime","date":"1962-04-25T00:00:00.000Z","tags":["Nuclear"],"updated":"2025-06-13T13:26:43.000Z","connectionCount":0,"content":{"markdown":"## Overview\n\nOperation Fishbowl was a series of high-altitude nuclear tests conducted under Operation Dominic to evaluate warhead performance and atmospheric effects.[^1] The shots were launched from Johnston Atoll using Thor missiles to study missile defense and electromagnetic pulse phenomena.[^2]\n\n## Starfish Prime\n\nDetonated 9 July 1962 at about 400 km altitude, the 1.4 Mt burst created a red aurora visible over Hawaii and caused electrical disruptions across Oahu.[^1][^3] Honolulu police recorded hundreds of UFO reports that night.[^3]\n\n## Bluegill Triple Prime\n\nAfter multiple failed attempts, Bluegill Triple Prime finally launched 26 October 1962. A podcast later claimed its X-ray burst disabled a non-human craft, but analysis shows the \"object\" was the Thor booster.[^4][^5] A Los Alamos memo recorded fallout concerns that delayed earlier Bluegill shots.[^6]\n\n[^1]: [Defense Nuclear Agency - Operation Dominic I 1962](https://www.osti.gov/opennet/servlets/purl/16389215.pdf)\n\n[^2]: [Defense Nuclear Agency - Operation Dominic I 1962](https://www.osti.gov/opennet/servlets/purl/16389215.pdf)\n\n[^3]: [Thompson, J. \"The Exploding Sky\", The Christian Century](https://www.christiancentury.org/article/features/exploding-sky)\n\n[^4]: [Douglas Johnson - Did 1962 Nuclear Test Knock Down a UFO? The Mystery Solved](https://douglasjohnson.ghost.io/bluegill-triple-prime-nuclear-ufo/)\n\n[^5]: [Non-Human Intel Podcast - U.S. Combatant Commands and the Geospatial Relationship to UAP Crash Sites](https://music.amazon.com.au/podcasts/348aa0da-5d3e-4b3b-80fe-5859b9d6169c/episodes/62f27a51-9300-40ec-8704-f83728a1ead8/non-human-intel-podcast-u-s-combatant-commands-and-the-geospatial-relationship-to-uap-crash-sites---nhi-009); [Cruickshank - Supporting Evidence for Bluegill Triple Prime UAP Shootdown Theory](https://douglasjohnson.ghost.io/content/files/2025/03/Cruickshank-Supporting-Evidence-paper--2024-.pdf)\n\n[^6]: [Los Alamos Fallout Forecasting Memo](https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5722009)","readingTime":"1 min read"},"relatedRecords":[],"citation":{"canonicalUrl":"https://disclosdex.com/programs/1962-operation-fishbowl","title":"Operation Fishbowl","publisher":"Disclosdex","retrievedFrom":"https://disclosdex.com/api/v1/programs/1962-operation-fishbowl","license":"CC-BY-4.0"}}