U.S. had plans to nuke the moon

[Renew Deal]

Why do we want to violate mother moon?

You could easily skip by it in an archive search: a project titled "A Study of Lunar Research Flights." Its nickname is even more low-brow: "Project A-119."

But the reality was much more explosive.

It was a top-secret plan, developed by the U.S. Air Force, to look at the possibility of detonating a nuclear device on the moon.

It was hatched in 1958 - a time when the United States and the Soviet Union were locked in a nuclear arms race that would last decades and drive the two superpowers to the verge of nuclear war. The Soviets had also just launched Sputnik 1, the world's first satellite. The U.S. was falling behind in the space race, and needed a big splash.

"People were worried very much by (first human in space Soviet cosmonaut Yuri) Gagarin and Sputnik and the very great accomplishments of the Soviet Union in those days, and in comparison, the United States was feared to be looking puny. So this was a concept to sort of reassure people that the United States could maintain a mutually-assured deterrence, and therefore avoid any huge conflagration on the Earth," said physicist Leonard Reiffel, who led the project.
<snip>

http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/28/u-s-had-plans-to-nuke-the-moon

[jberryhill]

1. There are studies of all sorts of odd things

I'm sure there are many plans for stuff like "how to invade Canada", "can we dig a tunnel to Beijing and attack there". To call this type of "what is possible and how would you go about it" theorizing a "plan", as if anyone was chomping at the bit to do it, is an exaggeration.

[Kaleva]

7. Back in the 1920's, the Canadians had a plan on invading the US

[longship]

2. Enceledes? That's a long way away!

That's Saturn's moon, Enceledes. It's a tiny thing, about the size of Britain.

BTW, it might have life on it:

Here's her superb talk, two years earlier:

Both worth a look.

But that pic is Enceledes!!! Not the Earth's moon.

[Deep13]

3. We have to guard against terrorists from Saturn. nt

[x2 vancouverite]

4. Damn right!

Ever notice that Saturn sounds a lot like Satan?

[oldhippydude]

5. saturn... that has a familiar ring..........n/t

[Poll_Blind]

6. When I was a boy, blowing up the moon was just a beautiful dream. Now, it's science fact!

PB

[LeftyMom]

8. omega minimo tried to warn us, but we didn't listen!