Noronai
Chapter 3
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nuclear device. These photographs also revealed evidence of a recent,
low-yield, above-ground nuclear test I
On its way to Semipalatinsk, the 21 August mission flew a
search pattern over the western end of Lake Balkash looking for an-
other Soviet missile-related installation and made the first photo-
graphs of what was later determined to be the new missile test center
at Saryshagan. This facility was used to test radars against incoming
missiles fired from Kapustin Yar, 1,400 miles to the west. Saryshagan
later became the center for the development of the Soviet Union's ad-
vanced antiballistic missile (ABM) weapon system.
On 23 August 1957, DDCI Cabe11, Richard Bissell, and Air
Force Chief of Staff Twining met with President Eisenhower to report
on the results of Operation SOFT TOUCH. They showed the
President some of the photographic results of the earlier missions and
reported on the effects of the antiradar measures. Although the
antiradar measures had not proved successful, the photographic yield
from the missions was extremely valuable. Bissell then informed the
President that the SOFT TOUCH operation was just about to con-
clude with the transfer of the aircraft back to Adana. He asked per-
mission for one of the U-2s to make another overflight of the Soviet
Union on this return trip, but the President denied the request, not
wishing to conduct any more overflights than were necessary:°
ED 129581.6Idlill>101010<25Yrs
IS)
" Mission folder 4045 (20 August 1957) and 4050 (21 August 1957), OSA records
TS Codeword).
Andrew .1. Goodpaster, Memorandum for the Record, 23 August 1957, WHOSS, Alpha,
DDEL (TS).
UNCLASSIFIED