America's Space Sentinels: DSP Satellites and National Security - Softcover

Richelson PH.D., Jeffrey T

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0700610960 ISBN 13: 9780700610969

Publisher: University Press of Kansas, 2001

Synopsis

During much of the Cold War, America's first line of defense was in outer space: a network of secret satellites that could provide instant warning of an enemy missile launch. The presence of these infrared sensors orbiting 22,000 miles above the earth discouraged a Soviet first strike and stabilized international relations between the superpowers, and they now play a crucial role in monitoring the missile programs of China, India, and other emerging nuclear powers. Jeffrey Richelson has written the first comprehensive history of this vital program, tracing its evolution from the late 1950s to the present. He puts Defense Support Program operations in the context of world events - from Russian missile programs to the Gulf War - and explains how DSP's infrared sensors are used to detect meteorites, monitor forest fires, and even gather industrial intelligence by "seeing" the lights of steel mills.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

"This is far and away the most comprehensive account of the MIDAS/DSP program that exists--and I can't imagine it will be superseded soon. It will certainly become the book on the subject of early warning satellites." --Gregg Herken, author of Cardinal Choices: Presidential Science Advising from the Atomic Bomb to SDI

"A fascinating report on a little-known type of military satellite that still has a vitally important ongoing mission to deter ballistic missile attacks by 'rogue states' against the United States and its allies."--Philip J. Klass, author of Secret Sentries in Space and former senior editor of Aviation Week & Space Technology

"A very significant contribution in the field of intelligence studies that should attract a diverse readership among persons interested in Cold War and diplomatic history, national security issues, and the aerospace industry."--John Prados, author of Presidents' Secret Wars

"The definitive account, providing extraordinary details of the satellites and their ground control stations, as well as the bureaucratic politics that have shaped the development of the system."--Desmond Ball, author of The Transformation of Security of the Asia-Pacific Region

"Richelson knows more about these satellites than anyone outside the U.S. government--and probably more than most inside the U.S. intelligence community as well."--Robert Windrem, NBC Nightly News

About the Author:

Jeffrey T. Richelson is a senior fellow with the National Security Archive. Among his numerous other books are America's Secret Eyes in Space: The U.S. Keyhole Spy Satellite Program, A Century of Spies: Intelligence in the Twentieth Century, and The U.S. Intelligence Community.

About this edition

• Publisher: University Press of Kansas
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0700610960
• ISBN 13: 9780700610969
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 330