Bedford, MA: Gründung Project Space Track
Two German expatriates established Project Space Track on November 29, 1957, at the Geophysics Research Directorate in Bedford, Massachusetts. The project aimed to monitor orbits of all artificial satellites, probes, rockets, and debris from US and Soviet launches.
Hintergrund
Event
On November 29, 1957, expatriates G. R. Miczaika and Eberhart W. Wahl initiated Project Space Track in Building 1535 of the Geophysics Research Directorate at Hanscom AFB, Bedford, Massachusetts. This responded to Sputnik launches amid Cold War tensions.
Witnesses
Key figures were G. R. Miczaika and Eberhart W. Wahl, German experts in geophysics and tracking.
Mission
The initiative focused on computing trajectories for all man-made orbital objects: satellites, probes, boosters, and debris from American and Soviet missions. It integrated radar, optics, and computing for real-time cataloging.
Significance
This military endeavor launched formalized US space surveillance, evolving into the NSSCC by 1960. It provided critical orbital predictions, distinguishing known objects from potential unknowns, thus relevant to UAP studies amid 1957 sightings.