November 22

On 22 November 1955, the Soviet Union conducted its inaugural two-stage hydrogen bomb test, codenamed RDS-37, at the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site in Kazakhstan. Designed by physicist Andrei Sakharov, the weapon yielded approximately 1.6 megatons of TNT, demonstrating a significant advance in Soviet thermonuclear capability. The test was conducted at high altitude using a parachute-deployed device to allow close observation of the detonation’s effects. RDS-37’s success closed the technological gap with the United States and intensified the nuclear arms race during the Cold War. The explosion’s shockwave and radiation effects spurred global debates on nuclear proliferation and arms control.

On November 22, 1989, Space Shuttle Discovery lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on mission STS-33, a top-secret flight for the Department of Defense. As the first shuttle mission after the Challenger disaster, STS-33 carried classified payloads and conducted undisclosed operations in Earth orbit. The launch tested new security protocols for military missions and reinforced recovery procedures established after previous shuttle incidents. Discovery returned safely to Earth after completing all objectives, demonstrating the shuttle’s continued versatility and reliability. Details about the payloads and experiments remain largely shrouded in secrecy.