Project A119
Could a nuclear blast have reached the Moon?
4.7 (37)
26 mins
Uncover Project A119, the secret U.S. plan to detonate a nuclear weapon on the Moon during the Cold War. Explore why scientists studied the blast, how Carl Sagan became involved, and why the plan was ultimately abandoned.
Ep 1:
The Day America Aimed for the Moon
Amid Sputnik-fueled panic, the U.S. Air Force secretly explored detonating a nuclear bomb on the Moon—a plan born from fear, rivalry, and a desperate need to prove American strength.
Ep 2:
Building the Bomb, Fighting the Plan
Inside Project A119, scientists picked a warhead and a target on the Moon's terminator line, even as they quietly warned of contamination, missed shots, and fallout risks no one wanted to hear.
Ep 3:
The Secret That Almost Nuked the Moon
Decades later, a biographer's discovery and a physicist's confession exposed America's forgotten plan to nuke the Moon—and revealed how close that radioactive first contact came to reality.
Discussions (5)
Tristan
Level 9 · 1 week agoSagan modeling nuke clouds then later saying 'pale blue dot' is wild character development
Ruby
Level 7 · 1 week agoSagan leaking classified info on a scholarship app wasn't some noble act of transparency. It was careless. You can admire the man without pretending every mistake he made had some deeper meaning behind it.
Kent
Level 5 · 1 week agoThe US was one bad rocket launch away from turning the moon into a nuclear nightlight. Carl Sagan went from modeling the blast cloud to 'pale blue dot.' Character development.
