Unforeseen Consequences of the Starfish Prime Electromagnetic Pulse

The Starfish Prime nuclear bomb test in space led to an unexpectedly large electromagnetic pulse, causing damage in Hawaii 900 miles away, including knocking out 300 streetlights, setting off burglar alarms, and disrupting telephone communications. This experiment also involved launching numerous rockets to gather data from the detonation. The test was a response to the Soviet Union ending a testing moratorium, but the choice to conduct it in space was to demonstrate capabilities and potentially as a strategic move in the Cold War.