What Happens When A Nuclear Bomb Detonates In Space? – SlashGear

From a visual perspective, the explosion was reportedly a sight to behold, as it looked like the Aurora Borealis was happening over Hawaii. For thousands of miles, spectators could see flashes of red, green, or blue streaks across the sky for about half an hour, according to the Smithsonian Magazine. 

After it exploded, the hydrogen bomb let off an electromagnetic pulse that fried electronic devices and knocked out power 1,000 miles away in Hawaii. Additionally, Telstar — the very first communications satellite for AT&T — was damaged by residual radiation a day after the launch, and eventually knocked out of commission by later nuclear tests.

The test was successful inasmuch as both the Soviet Union and the United States realized they shouldn’t amp up the tonnage and do it again. The Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty signed the next year in 1963 banned high altitude tests like Starfish Prime from happening again. 

If a larger bomb were ever set off in space, as unlikely as that is, one could imagine that the resulting technological toll would be extremely heavy, as power would likely be disrupted over a large portion of the landmass below. With the cessation of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the risk of all out nuclear war has dropped precipitously, allowing for at least a measure of ease regarding the possibility of such an airborne attack.