Polaris
Nuclear strikes from hidden, moving locations
Explosive Power
1.2 megatons
Hiroshima Equivalent Factor
80x
Dimensions
32 ft., 4 inches x 4 ft. 6 inches
Weight
35,700 lbs.
Range
2876 miles
Year(s)
1961–1996
Purpose
The first sub-launched nuclear mn
About the Polaris
Forthcoming…
Gallery
Nukemap
NUKEMAP is a web-based mapping program that attempts to give the user a sense of the destructive power of nuclear weapons. It was created by Alex Wellerstein, a historian specializing in nuclear weapons (see his book on nuclear secrecy and his blog on nuclear weapons). The screenshot below shows the NUKEMAP output for this particular weapon. Click on the map to customize settings.
Videos
Click on the Play button and then the Full screen brackets on the lower right to view each video. Click on the Exit full screen cross at lower right (the “X” on a mobile device) to return.
Further Reading
- Wikipedia, Misslery.info
- A good overview of the Polaris (at a page at Nuclear Companion that doesn’t seem reachable from the site’s main page). See also their page (with graphs) on Polaris’ deployment.
- For context, here is “A Brief History of U.S. Navy Fleet Ballistic Missiles and Submarines” from the Naval History and Heritage Command.
- A short overview of the Dahlgren Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, which did the software development for the missile’s guidance system, with a few personal reflections from the author, Robert V. Gates.
- Another good history of the missile from the US Naval Institute.
- The US Naval Institute has a short audio anecdote from a visit by Admiral Rayborn (head of the Navy’s Special Projects) to a Polaris component assembly line. (And click through to the extensive list of audio files from the Institute.)
- An overview with a listing of launches at Astronautix.
- A few thoughts on the early days of the Polaris programs and the changing definition of a successful test.
- The CIA has a copy of the New York Times’ obituary for Admiral William F. Raborn, a key figure in the development of the Polaris.
- The articles at the US Naval Institute are usually excellent. Here is a list of articles returned using the search term “Polaris.”