1960s Radiation Plume Field Test Photos Missile Range Instrument Study 8 Prints

This group of eight original black and white photographs documents a controlled plume dispersion experiment conducted at a U.S. missile test range during the early–mid 1960s. The images show a ground-mounted plume generator producing dense smoke columns used to observe atmospheric movement and dispersion behavior across an open test field. Several photographs capture the plume at different stages, including ignition, full expansion, and dissipation, while nearby instrumentation towers and field equipment appear around the test area. The attached images show the front and back of each photo.

The sandy soil and the abundance of scrub pine trees point toward a testing range in Florida (Eglin or Canaveral), but the location can’t by accurately confirmed.

Two photographs show the plume generator mounted on a large support frame producing a concentrated jet plume against the sky. The remaining images document the plume traveling horizontally across the range under prevailing wind conditions, allowing researchers to observe plume spread and density. The original manila envelope labeled “Radiation Plume & Vehicle Test Glossy’s” is included and provides period identification for the photographic set.

– Set of eight original black and white engineering photographs
– Controlled plume dispersion experiment at U.S. missile test range
– Dense smoke plume released from ground-mounted generator
– Sequential plume development and atmospheric drift captured
– Instrument towers and field equipment visible in test range
– Two close views of plume generator mounted on large support frame
– Original manila envelope labeled “Radiation Plume & Vehicle Test Glossy’s”
– Early–mid 1960s Cold War aerospace and atmospheric research documentation