1956 Soviet nuclear tests

{{short description|none}}

{{See also|List of nuclear weapons tests of the Soviet Union}}

{{Infobox nuclear weapons test

|name = 1956

|picture =

|picture_description =

|country = Soviet Union

|test_site = Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan; Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan

|period = 1956

|number_of_tests = 9

|test_type = air drop, dry surface, high alt rocket (30–80 km), tower

|max_yield = {{convert|900|ktTNT|lk=in}}

|previous_series = 1955 Soviet nuclear tests

|next_series = 1957 Soviet nuclear tests

}}

{{GeoGroup|article=1956 Soviet nuclear tests}}

The Soviet Union's 1956 nuclear test series was a group of 9 nuclear tests conducted in 1956. These tests followed the 1955 Soviet nuclear tests series and preceded the 1957 Soviet nuclear tests series.

class="wikitable sortable" |+ Soviet Union's 1956 series tests and detonations
style="background:#ffdead;" | Name The US, France and Great Britain have code-named their test events, while the USSR and China did not, and therefore have only test numbers (with some exceptions – Soviet peaceful explosions were named). Word translations into English in parentheses unless the name is a proper noun. A dash followed by a number indicates a member of a salvo event. The US also sometimes named the individual explosions in such a salvo test, which results in "name1 – 1(with name2)". If test is canceled or aborted, then the row data like date and location discloses the intended plans, where known. !style="background:#efefef;" | Date time (UT) !style="background:#ffdead;" | Local time zoneTo convert the UT time into standard local, add the number of hours in parentheses to the UT time; for local daylight saving time, add one additional hour. If the result is earlier than 00:00, add 24 hours and subtract 1 from the day; if it is 24:00 or later, subtract 24 hours and add 1 to the day.{{cite web| title=Time Zone Historical Database| publisher=iana.com| url=http://www.ietf.org/timezones/| accessdate=March 8, 2014}} !style="background:#efefef;" | LocationRough place name and a latitude/longitude reference; for rocket-carried tests, the launch location is specified before the detonation location, if known. Some locations are extremely accurate; others (like airdrops and space blasts) may be quite inaccurate. "~" indicates a likely pro-forma rough location, shared with other tests in that same area. !style="background:#ffdead;" | Elevation + height Elevation is the ground level at the point directly below the explosion relative to sea level; height is the additional distance added or subtracted by tower, balloon, shaft, tunnel, air drop or other contrivance. For rocket bursts the ground level is "N/A". In some cases it is not clear if the height is absolute or relative to ground, for example, Plumbbob/John. No number or units indicates the value is unknown, while "0" means zero. Sorting on this column is by elevation and height added together. !style="background:#efefef;" | Delivery, Atmospheric, airdrop, balloon, gun, cruise missile, rocket, surface, tower, and barge are all disallowed by the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Sealed shaft and tunnel are underground, and remained useful under the PTBT. Intentional cratering tests are borderline; they occurred under the treaty, were sometimes protested, and generally overlooked if the test was declared to be a peaceful use. Purpose Include weapons development, weapon effects, safety test, transport safety test, war, science, joint verification and industrial/peaceful, which may be further broken down. !style="background:#efefef;" | DeviceDesignations for test items where known, "?" indicates some uncertainty about the preceding value, nicknames for particular devices in quotes. This category of information is often not officially disclosed. !style="background:#ffdead;" | YieldEstimated energy yield in tons, kilotons, and megatons. A ton of TNT equivalent is defined as 4.184 gigajoules (1 gigacalorie). !style="background:#efefef;" class="unsortable" | FalloutRadioactive emission to the atmosphere aside from prompt neutrons, where known. The measured species is only iodine-131 if mentioned, otherwise it is all species. No entry means unknown, probably none if underground and "all" if not; otherwise notation for whether measured on the site only or off the site, where known, and the measured amount of radioactivity released. !style="background:#ffdead;" class="unsortable" | References !style="background:#efefef;" class="unsortable" | Notes
25 Baykal (Joe 20){{anchor|25 Baykal (Joe 20)}} | {{dts|format=dmy|1956|2|2}} | style="text-align:center;" | KIZT (5 hrs) || Launch from Kapustin Yar, Astrakhan {{coord|48.56956|45.90346|name=Launch_25 Baykal (Joe 20)|display=inline}}, elv: {{convert|0|+|0|m|abbr=on}}; Detonation over Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan {{coord|47.984|62.011|name=25 Baykal (Joe 20)|display=inline}} | {{sort|000000

}N/A + 0

| high alt rocket (30–80 km),
weapon effect

|

| style="text-align:center;" | {{sort|000003000|300 t}}

|

|

| Full-scale test of R-5M rocket launched in Kapustin Yar, targeted near Priaralsk Karakum, Kazakhstan. A fizzle.

|-

! 26 (Joe 21){{anchor|26 (Joe 21)}}

| {{dts|format=dmy|1956|3|16}} 05:00:??

| style="text-align:center;" | ALMT (6 hrs)
|| Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ {{coord|50.4|77.8|name=26 (Joe 21)|display=inline}}

| {{sort|000280|}}{{convert|280|m|abbr=on}} + 0

| dry surface,
weapons development

|

| style="text-align:center;" | {{sort|000140000|14 kt}}

|

|

|

|-

! 27 (Joe 22){{anchor|27 (Joe 22)}}

| {{dts|format=dmy|1956|3|25}}

| style="text-align:center;" | ALMT (6 hrs)
|| Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ {{coord|50.4|77.8|name=27 (Joe 22)|display=inline}}

| {{sort|000281|}}{{convert|280|m|abbr=on}} + {{convert|1|m|abbr=on}}

| dry surface,
weapons development

|

| style="text-align:center;" | {{sort|000055000|5.5 kt}}

|

|

|

|-

! 28 (Joe 23){{anchor|28 (Joe 23)}}

| {{dts|format=dmy|1956|8|24}} 00:15:??

| style="text-align:center;" | ALMT (6 hrs)
|| Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan {{coord|50.456|77.773|name=28 (Joe 23)|display=inline}}

| {{sort|000373|}}{{convert|280|m|abbr=on}} + {{convert|93|m|abbr=on}}

| tower,
weapons development

|

| style="text-align:center;" | {{sort|000270000|27 kt}}

|

|

|

|-

! 29 (Joe 24){{anchor|29 (Joe 24)}}

| {{dts|format=dmy|1956|8|30}}

| style="text-align:center;" | ALMT (6 hrs)
|| Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan {{coord|50.42|77.78|name=29 (Joe 24)|display=inline}}

| {{sort|001380|}}{{convert|280|m|abbr=on}} + {{convert|1100|m|abbr=on}}

| air drop,
weapons development

| TN

| style="text-align:center;" | {{sort|009000000|900 kt}}

|

|

|

|-

! 30 (Joe 25){{anchor|30 (Joe 25)}}

| {{dts|format=dmy|1956|9|2}}

| style="text-align:center;" | ALMT (6 hrs)
|| Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ {{coord|50.4|77.8|name=30 (Joe 25)|display=inline}}

| {{sort|001330|}}{{convert|280|m|abbr=on}} + {{convert|1050|m|abbr=on}}

| air drop,
weapons development

|

| style="text-align:center;" | {{sort|000510000|51 kt}}

|

|

|

|-

! 31 (Joe 26){{anchor|31 (Joe 26)}}

| {{dts|format=dmy|1956|9|10}}

| style="text-align:center;" | ALMT (6 hrs)
|| Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ {{coord|50.4|77.8|name=31 (Joe 26)|display=inline}}

| {{sort|000620|}}{{convert|280|m|abbr=on}} + {{convert|340|m|abbr=on}}

| air drop,
weapons development

|

| style="text-align:center;" | {{sort|000380000|38 kt}}

|

|

|

|-

! 32 (Joe 27){{anchor|32 (Joe 27)}}

| {{dts|format=dmy|1956|11|17}}

| style="text-align:center;" | ALMT (6 hrs)
|| Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan {{coord|50.42|77.78|name=32 (Joe 27)|display=inline}}

| {{sort|002280|}}{{convert|280|m|abbr=on}} + {{convert|2000|m|abbr=on}}

| air drop,
weapons development

| TN

| style="text-align:center;" | {{sort|009000000|900 kt}}

|

|

|

|-

! 33 (Joe 28){{anchor|33 (Joe 28)}}

| {{dts|format=dmy|1956|12|14}}

| style="text-align:center;" | ALMT (6 hrs)
|| Ground Zero, Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan ~ {{coord|50.4|77.8|name=33 (Joe 28)|display=inline}}

| {{sort|002245|}}{{convert|280|m|abbr=on}} + {{convert|1965|m|abbr=on}}

| air drop,
weapons development

|

| style="text-align:center;" | {{sort|000400000|40 kt}}

|

|

|

|}