In 1958 the United States had completed six high-altitude nuclear tests , but the high-altitude tests of that year produced many unexpected results and raised many new questions . According to the U.S. Government Project Officer 's Interim Report on the Starfish Prime project : Previous high-altitude nuclear tests : YUCCA , TEAK , and ORANGE , 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 . The Starfish test was originally planned as the second in the Fishbowl series , but the first launch ( Bluegill ) was lost by the radar tracking equipment and had to be destroyed in flight
ORANGE
Operation Hardtack I
Starfish Prime