322 



RADIOACTIVE FALLOUT 



Much thought was given by meteorological scientists during the 

 IGY to determination of air mass movements by the use of radio- 

 active fallout techniques. In particular, plans were made to determine 

 the extent of nuclear radiation in the atmosphere, the amount of 

 fallout reaching the ground, and the quantity of dust already ac- 

 cumulated. Although indications were that Soviet IGY leaders backed 

 the program, Soviet scientists did not participate. Sullivan has specu- 

 lated that rejection of Soviet participation was "... a political 

 decision in Moscow not to take part in any activity which implied 

 that fallout had some usefulness." u Nonetheless, a limited fallout 

 study was conducted by other IGY participants. 



ANTARCTIC BASES 



A significant proportion of IGY activities was carried out in the 

 Antarctic, where a number of participating nations had made terri- 

 torial claims, some of which overlapped. It was therefore inevitable 

 that political considerations could not be completely excluded from 

 the Antarctic program. In particular, it was clear that Australian 

 representatives were disturbed over the establishment of Soviet bases 

 that close to Australia, and the extent to which such bases appeared 

 of a permanent nature. Through informal agreement and mutual 

 understanding, however, these various claims were not enforced in 

 any way, thus permitting the Antarctic program to be pursued largely 

 unaffected by such claims. 



MAPPING 



Soviet delegates to the IGY proposed that all expeditions to the 

 Antarctic cooperate in preparing a detailed map of the continent 

 primarily through aerial photography. This proposal was rejected on 

 the grounds that mapping did not meet the basic requirements for 

 IG i programs. American participants also objected to the program 

 on the grounds that mapping represented a quasi -political activity 

 which should not be included in what otherwise were purely scientific 

 activities. The American view was inadvertently reinforced when the 

 U.S. Navy, in its Operation Deepfreeze plan, used the phrase "United 

 States rights in the area," 75 a phrase to which the American scientists 

 strongly objected. Although the Soviets eventually proceeded to map 

 half the continent, the American contingent did not participate in 

 these activities. Subsequent technological developments in recon- 

 naissance by artificial satellites have rendered the disagreement 

 irrelevant. 



THE "STOLEN" SATELLITE ROCKET 



Politics also intruded into the IGY with regard to the recovery 

 of the rocket which launched Sputnik I. By coincidence, a large 

 meteor fell over Alaska almost precisely at the time predicted for 

 the final pass of the Soviet rocket over that area. Subsequently, 

 local U.S. Army headquarters erroneously announced that the rocket 



" Sullivan, "The TOY," p. 282. 



" Operation De«pfrrezp, Operation Plan No. 1-65, Commander, U.S. Naval Support Force, Antarctica, 

 p. 2. For details, see: 8ullivan, Atiault, p. 402. 



