Spying from Space: Constructing America's Satellite Command and Control Systems (Centennial of Flight Series) (Volume 12) - Softcover

David Christopher Arnold

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1603440437 ISBN 13: 9781603440431

Publisher: Texas A&M University Press, 2008

Synopsis

On August 14, 1960, a revolution quietly occurred in the reconnaissance capabilities of America. When the Air Force C-119 Flying Boxcar Pelican 9 caught a bucket returning from space with film from a satellite, the American intelligence community gained access to previously denied information about the Soviet Union. The Corona reconnaissance satellite missions that followed lifted the veil of secrecy from the communist bloc, revealing, among other things, that no “Missile Gap” existed.

This revolution in military intelligence could not have occurred without the development of the command and control systems that made the Space Race possible. In Spying from Space, David Christopher Arnold tells the story of how military officers and civilian contractors built the Air Force Satellite Control Facility (AFSCF) to support the National Reconnaissance Program. The AFSCF also had a unique relationship with the National Reconnaissance Office, a secret organization that the U.S. government officially concealed as late as the 1990s. Like every large technology system, the AFSCF evolved as a result of the interaction of human beings with technology and with each other.

Spying from Space fills a gap in space history by telling the story of the command and control systems that made rockets and satellites useful. Those interested in space flight or intelligence efforts will benefit from this revealing look into a little-known aspect of American achievement. Those fascinated by how large, complex organizations work will also find this an intriguing study of inter-service rivalries and clashes between military and civilian cultures.

About this title

About the Author:

David Christopher Arnold, a graduate of Auburn University, received a Gill Robb Wilson Award for his writing on national defense. He taught for a number of years at the U.S. Air Force Academy and now works at the Pentagon as a long-range strategic planner for the U.S. Air Force.

Review:

" . . . a major contribution to the ongoing discussion of the social construction of technology. The relationship between technical innovation and the institutions using it is a major element of the West's history in particular." -- Dennis E. Showalter, Colorado College

"His book is a useful and essential contribution to the history of the Air Force, the national space effort, and, more precisely, the satellite reconnaissance program. It is recommended to all those interested in these aspects of history." -- Air Power History

About this edition

• Publisher: Texas A&M University Press
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1603440437
• ISBN 13: 9781603440431
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 232