Military (DoD) space programs.

[Sea of red]

Everyone knows about the US civilian space program run by NASA, but few know about the DoD space program that is run by the US Air Force. NASA was created for civilian space needs such as scientific probes, GPS, weather satellites, communications, TV, and manned space exploration -- and was specifically created to separate it from defense space. But the military has needs with missile defense, weather monitoring, communications, reconnaissance, and more secretive technologies. Folks like the Navy, Army, DIA, CIA, and NRO have needs in space, and they have to be met.

Some of the most incredible of the accomplishments are the U2, SR-71, defense meteorological satellites, missile defense radars, the NRO satellites, the Titan rockets, and the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program (EEV) of the Air Force.

Many space-probes developed by NASA have been launched aboard unmanned launch vehicles that were backed by the AF, such as the the Titan rockets and EEV program rockets. So the AF has helped keep those programs - that I believe in heavily - alive while NASA focused on other matters.

Check out the NRO program history in particular:

http://www.nro.gov/history/csnr/prog...ef_History.pdf

[Cow Poke]

I was initially surprised that folks wouldn't know about the military vs. civilian space programs, but... I guess a lot of people don't pay that much attention.

[klaus54]

I was initially surprised that folks wouldn't know about the military vs. civilian space programs, but... I guess a lot of people don't pay that much attention.

Reminds me of the Twilight Zone episode "The Invaders".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_In...Twilight_Zone)

...and most people don't pay much attention to anything except their immediate lives --- and they vote.

[One Bad Pig]

Everyone knows about the US civilian space program run by NASA, but few know about the DoD space program that is run by the US Air Force. NASA was created for civilian space needs such as scientific probes, GPS, weather satellites, communications, TV, and manned space exploration -- and was specifically created to separate it from defense space. But the military has needs with missile defense, weather monitoring, communications, reconnaissance, and more secretive technologies. Folks like the Navy, Army, DIA, CIA, and NRO have needs in space, and they have to be met.

Some of the most incredible of the accomplishments are the U2, SR-71, defense meteorological satellites, missile defense radars, the NRO satellites, the Titan rockets, and the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program (EEV) of the Air Force.

Many space-probes developed by NASA have been launched aboard unmanned launch vehicles that were backed by the AF, such as the the Titan rockets and EEV program rockets. So the AF has helped keep those programs - that I believe in heavily - alive while NASA focused on other matters.

Check out the NRO program history in particular:

http://www.nro.gov/history/csnr/prog...ef_History.pdf

There was a lot of intra-DoD competition at the beginning of the space race, and the initial launch vehicles were repurposed ICBMs (their early failure rate as launch vehicles makes me quite glad none of them were ever fired in anger in their primary role).

[Cow Poke]

There was a lot of intra-DoD competition at the beginning of the space race, and the initial launch vehicles were repurposed ICBMs (their early failure rate as launch vehicles makes me quite glad none of them were ever fired in anger in their primary role).

Ain't THAT the pure and simple!

[rogue06]

There was a lot of intra-DoD competition at the beginning of the space race, and the initial launch vehicles were repurposed ICBMs (their early failure rate as launch vehicles makes me quite glad none of them were ever fired in anger in their primary role).

Personally, I'm glad that none of them were ever fired in anger even if they were shown to have had a 100% success rate.

[Cow Poke]

Personally, I'm glad that none of them were ever fired in anger even if they were shown to have had a 100% success rate.

Well, that, too!

[Sea of red]

There was a lot of intra-DoD competition at the beginning of the space race, and the initial launch vehicles were repurposed ICBMs (their early failure rate as launch vehicles makes me quite glad none of them were ever fired in anger in their primary role).

One mans missile is another mans spaceship.

[Sea of red]

The Titan launch vehicles were the finest set of rockets ever developed IMHO - though I probably eat my words after a Delta launch. They launched many space probes including Viking, Mariner, Voyager, and Cassini.

[Teallaura]

Personally, I'm glad that none of them were ever fired in anger even if they were shown to have had a 100% success rate.

Tweb needs a double amen feature...