On This Day in Science History - October 16 - Chinese Atom Bomb Test

October 16th is the anniversary of China becoming a nuclear power. They successfully detonated a 22 kiloton warhead codenamed 596. 596 was chosen after June 1959, when the Soviets stopped assisting China with their nuclear program. After the Korean War, China began their nuclear program and had an agreement with Moscow where China would supply uranium in exchange for technical assistance and a sample atomic bomb. The Soviets helped China build a gaseous diffusion plant and missile technology, but stopped short of providing the sample bomb. China was forced to continue their program on their own and made rapid progress and built their bomb in another five years. It would only take them less than three years to develop a hydrogen bomb.

While I was researching China's atom bomb test, I ran across this video clipped from Peter Kuran's "Trinity and Beyond". Trinity and Beyond is an excellent documentary of the beginning of the atomic age and development of nuclear weapons from 1945 to 1963. This clip shows what looks like a typical propaganda film with not just the explosion, but soldiers and horse cavalry wearing anti-radiation suits charging into the mushroom cloud with guns blazing. Many parts look as if they were staged at a different time, but I wondered if the Chinese military actually had soldiers running towards the blast. If anyone knows more information about this test, please leave a comment. Find out what else occurred on this day in science history.

View the original article here