so that ensure that these hardware actually worked as intended, rigorous testing was required.
Instead, it requires a larger quantity of secondary explosive, known as a primer or a booster.
In mining operations, one or two sticks of dynamite are typically used to trigger ANFO explosives.
ANFO is also cost-effective.
Its primary ingredient, ammonium nitrate, is a common commercial fertilizer produced in millions of pounds per day.
Mixing the two results in an extremely stable and insensitive mixture that is safe to handle.
The first high-explosive simulation using ANFO took place in 1976 as a part of the Dice Throw test.
The tests also simulated airblast effects on mannequins in vehicles and shelters and in the open.
A dome of ANFO bags for the Mill Race test.
In the background are various types of equipment to be used on the testbed during the detonation.
The most powerful test in the Misty Castle Series, namedMinor Scale, took place on 27 June 1985.
A dome-shaped hemisphere of fiberglass, 88 feet across, was constructed and filled with 4,744 tons of ANFO.
The detonation of 4,744 tons of ANFO generated an explosion equivalent to 4 kilotons of TNT.
The airblast was calculated to be the equivalent of an 8-kiloton nuclear weapon.
For comparison, the yield of the nuclear bomb detonated over Hiroshima during World War 2 was 16 kiloton.
Minor Scale remains the largest man-made, non-nuclear explosion in history.
The detonation of Minor Scale caused a massive explosion that kicked up an enormous cloud of dust and debris.
Prior to Minor Scale, there were two contenders for the largest known man-made, non-nuclear explosion in history.
The Heligoland operation resulted in an explosion with an approximate yield of 3.2 kilotons of TNT.
Another high-explosive test of similar magnitude wasMisty Picturethat was detonated on 14 May 1987.
The test was originally planned for twice the yield, but was reduced to 4 kilotons.
The final test of the Misty Castle Series was Minor Uncle that took place in 1993.
