Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume VII, Arms Control and Disarmament

189. Memorandum for the Record⁰

Washington, June 20, 1962.

Meeting with the President on Wednesday, June 20, at 5:15 p.m., attended by Secretary of Defense, Chairman of AEC, Drafted. Jerome B. Wiesner, McCone, and others to discuss the status of the nuclear test program.¹

1. It was decided that all scheduled Nevada underground tests and the scheduled [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] above ground tests and the large crater test should be made.²

2. It was agreed that all of the remaining tests in the Pacific should be made.

3. It was agreed that two high altitude effects tests should be made and these would be completed if no slippage or failure occurs, about July 20.³

4. It was agreed that the outer space test desired by the AEC would, in all probability, be cancelled. However, Dr. Seaborg was to discuss this subject with the President at a later date.⁴ The problem was that one test would extend the operation into August and this was considered undesirable.

The President agreed to all of the above.

John A. McCone⁵

0. Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Meetings with President, 12/1/61-6/30/62. Secret; Eyes Only. Drafted by McCone on June 26.
1. Bundy also wrote a memorandum summarizing the President’s decisions at this meeting. (Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Subjects Series, Nuclear Weapons Testing) See the Supplement.
2. Reference presumably is to the final Nevada tests in Operation Nougat and the Nevada tests in Operation Storax I, the first of which was a 104-kiloton thermonuclear crater test on July 6. (Announced United States Nuclear Tests, pp. 20-24)
3. Starfish Prime, the first high-altitude nuclear shot in the Dominic series, took place on July 8. Bluegill Prime, July 25, and Bluegill Double Prime, October 15, both misfired during the launch phase and had to be destroyed. (Operation Dominic I—1962, pp. 232-241)
4. At a meeting with Seaborg, Wiesner, Keeny, and McGeorge Bundy on July 10, the President approved preparations for Urraca, a high-altitude shot, to take place about August 6. (Seaborg, Journal, Supplement, pp. 19042-19043) This event was cancelled before this date, however, to avoid further damage to orbiting satellites. High-altitude shots Checkmate (October 19), Bluegill Triple Prime (October 25), Kingfish (November 1), and Tightrope (November 3) were later conducted successfully as part of the Dominic series. (Operation Dominic I—1962, pp. 236-247)
5. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.