Satellite

Ohio History

DSP Test Satellite

Finally, we reached the last section of the museum: space. Space innovation really advanced during the Cold War "space race" of the '60s. Satellites were the first goal, both for spying and for information transmission. The 35-foot-high spacecraft above was a test vehicle for the Defensive Support Program begun in 1970. It was an alert system that could sense thermal radiation from rocket launchers using infrared detectors. This allowed an earlier warning system for imminent missile threats. It was amazing how big it looked in the museum, compared to the pictures we see of satellites in orbit in space. These DSP satellites, as they are called, are still in use today.