Pokhran Photographic Interpretation Report
India conducted its first nuclear detonation, described by India as a "peaceful nuclear explosion," on 18 May 1974. This test, which may have only been partially successful, demonstrated a claimed yield of 12 kt. The device was emplaced in a vertical shaft and detonated at a depth of 107 meters. It is reported that the American intelligence community estimated that the actual yield was in the range of 4 to 6 kilotons. The test produced a crater with a radius variously reported at between 47 and 75 meters, and a depth of about 10 meters. High-resolution commercial satellite imagery discloses that the subsidence area proper has a radius of about 60 meters, and is surrounded by a distinctive heart-shaped perimeter with a radius of roughly 80 meters
| Pokhran Satellite Imagery |
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| Click on the small image to view a larger version | ||
 Ground Truth Imagery from 18 May 1974 |
 Khetolai Military Range, 3 February 2000 (Source: Ikonos IMAGERY) | |
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