The United States completed six high-altitude nuclear tests in 1958 , but the high-altitude tests of that year raised a number of questions . According to U.S. Government Report ADA955694 on the first successful test of the Fishbowl series , " Previous high-altitude nuclear tests : '' Teak '' , '' Orange '' , and '' Yucca '' , plus the three '' ARGUS '' shots were poorly instrumented and hastily executed . Despite thorough studies of the meager data , present models of these bursts are sketchy and tentative . These models are too uncertain to permit extrapolation to other altitudes and yields with any confidence . Thus there is a strong need , not only for better instrumentation , but for further tests covering a range of altitudes and yields . " There were three phenomena in particular that required further investigation :
Orange
Operation Hardtack I
Operation Fishbowl