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Agathe (atomic test)
Encyclopedia
Agathe was the name of the first French nuclear underground test. It was an atomic bomb detonated in the Hoggar mount (near In Ekker) of the then French Sahara
desert on November 21, 1961, during the Algerian War (1954–62).
Agathe was the first test of the jewel designation series running from 1961 until 1966. Minor and major incidents occurred during these experimentations, the most important being the Beryl incident
on May 1, 1962 where the nine militarymen of the 621ème Groupe d'Armes Spéciales unit were heavily contaminated (600 mSv) as portrayed in the 2006 docudrama Vive La Bombe!. The French Defence Minister Pierre Messmer
and other officials and civilians were present in the command post and were contaminated too (around >200 mSv).
for a more complete analysis of effects of various dosage levels.
Data provided by the French Defense Ministry on January 2007.
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
desert on November 21, 1961, during the Algerian War (1954–62).
Agathe was the first test of the jewel designation series running from 1961 until 1966. Minor and major incidents occurred during these experimentations, the most important being the Beryl incident
Béryl incident
The "Béryl incident" was a French nuclear test, conducted on May 1 1962, during which nine soldiers of the 621st Groupe d'Armes Spéciales unit were heavily contaminated by radiation....
on May 1, 1962 where the nine militarymen of the 621ème Groupe d'Armes Spéciales unit were heavily contaminated (600 mSv) as portrayed in the 2006 docudrama Vive La Bombe!. The French Defence Minister Pierre Messmer
Pierre Messmer
Pierre Joseph Auguste Messmer was a French Gaullist politician. He served as Minister of Armies under Charles de Gaulle from 1960 to 1969 – the longest serving since Étienne François, duc de Choiseul under Louis XV – and then as Prime Minister under Georges Pompidou from 1972 to 1974...
and other officials and civilians were present in the command post and were contaminated too (around >200 mSv).
Specifics
- Time: 21 November 1961 (GMT)
- Location: Hoggar mount (near In Ekker)
- Yield: <20 kt
Programme
- 1961.11.07: Agathe (AgateAgateAgate is a microcrystalline variety of silica, chiefly chalcedony, characterised by its fineness of grain and brightness of color. Although agates may be found in various kinds of rock, they are classically associated with volcanic rocks and can be common in certain metamorphic rocks.-Etymology...
): <20 kt - 1962.05.01: Béryl (BerylBerylThe mineral beryl is a beryllium aluminium cyclosilicate with the chemical formula Be3Al26. The hexagonal crystals of beryl may be very small or range to several meters in size. Terminated crystals are relatively rare...
): <30 kt - 1963.03.18: Émeraude (EmeraldEmeraldEmerald is a variety of the mineral beryl colored green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium. Beryl has a hardness of 7.5–8 on the 10 point Mohs scale of mineral hardness...
): <20 kt - 1963.03.30: Améthyste (AmethystAmethystAmethyst is a violet variety of quartz often used in jewelry. The name comes from the Ancient Greek ἀ a- and μέθυστος methustos , a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness; the ancient Greeks and Romans wore amethyst and made drinking vessels of it in the belief...
): <5 kt - 1963.10.20: Rubis (RubyRubyA ruby is a pink to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum . The red color is caused mainly by the presence of the element chromium. Its name comes from ruber, Latin for red. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapphires...
): <100 kt - 1964.02.14: Opale (OpalOpalOpal is an amorphous form of silica related to quartz, a mineraloid form, not a mineral. 3% to 21% of the total weight is water, but the content is usually between 6% to 10%. It is deposited at a relatively low temperature and may occur in the fissures of almost any kind of rock, being most...
): <5 kt - 1964.06.15: Topaze (TopazTopazTopaz is a silicate mineral of aluminium and fluorine with the chemical formula Al2SiO42. Topaz crystallizes in the orthorhombic system and its crystals are mostly prismatic terminated by pyramidal and other faces.-Color and varieties:...
): <5 kt - 1964.11.28: Turquoise (TurquoiseTurquoiseTurquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula CuAl648·4. It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gem and ornamental stone for thousands of years owing to its unique hue...
): <20 kt - 1965.02.27: Saphir (SapphireSapphireSapphire is a gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide , when it is a color other than red or dark pink; in which case the gem would instead be called a ruby, considered to be a different gemstone. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, or chromium can give...
): <150 kt - 1965.05.30: Jade (JadeJadeJade is an ornamental stone.The term jade is applied to two different metamorphic rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals:...
): <5 kt - 1965.10.01: Corindon (CorundumCorundumCorundum is a crystalline form of aluminium oxide with traces of iron, titanium and chromium. It is a rock-forming mineral. It is one of the naturally clear transparent materials, but can have different colors when impurities are present. Transparent specimens are used as gems, called ruby if red...
): <5 kt - 1965.12.01: Tourmaline (TourmalineTourmalineTourmaline is a crystal boron silicate mineral compounded with elements such as aluminium, iron, magnesium, sodium, lithium, or potassium. Tourmaline is classified as a semi-precious stone and the gem comes in a wide variety of colors...
): <20 kt - 1966.02.16: Grenat (GarnetGarnetThe garnet group includes a group of minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives. The name "garnet" may come from either the Middle English word gernet meaning 'dark red', or the Latin granatus , possibly a reference to the Punica granatum , a plant with red seeds...
): <20 kt
Known incidents
The millisievert (mSv) is commonly used to measure the effective dose in diagnostic medical procedures. See radiation poisoningRadiation poisoning
Acute radiation syndrome also known as radiation poisoning, radiation sickness or radiation toxicity, is a constellation of health effects which occur within several months of exposure to high amounts of ionizing radiation...
for a more complete analysis of effects of various dosage levels.
- 1962.05.01: Béryl casualties
- 100 pers. (>50 mSv)
- 15 pers. (>200 mSv)
- 9 pers. (600 mSv)
- possibly 240 pers. (<2,5 mSv)
- 1963.03.30: Améthyste casualties
- 13 pers. (=10 mSv)
- 280 pers. (<1 mSv)
- 1963.10.20: Rubis casualties
- 500 pers. (<0,2 mSv)
- undisclosed (=0,01 mSv)
- 1965.05.30 Jade casualties:
- undisclosed (<1 mSv)
Data provided by the French Defense Ministry on January 2007.
See also
- Gerboise BleueGerboise BleueGerboise Bleue was the name of the first French nuclear test. It was an atomic bomb detonated in the middle of the Algerian Sahara desert on 13 February 1960, during the Algerian War...
(French A-bomb) - CanopusCanopus (nuclear test)Canopus was the code name for France's first two-stage thermonuclear test, conducted on August 24, 1968 at Fangataufa atoll...
(French H-bomb) - Force de frappeForce de frappeThe Force de Frappe is the designation of what used to be a triad of air-, sea- and land-based nuclear weapons intended for dissuasion, and consequential deterrence...
- Nuclear weapons and France
- List of states with nuclear weapons