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Operational Satellite A Boon to Space Science Systems The sensors that monitor for nuclear detonations also receive and record signals from natural 50 Years of Treaty Verification from Space During the 50 years since the first Vela satellites, events in the atmosphere and near-Earth space, the United States developed and maintained an reaching to the most remote areas of the universe. evolving constellation of operationally vigilant, space-based sentinels for nuclear detonation The Vela satellites discovered bursts of gamma- treaty verification. A multitude of sophisticated ray energy emanating from beyond the solar

sensors developed at Los Alamos and Sandia Defense Support Program (DSP) Satellite (Credit: USAF) system. Scientists now understand that these First recorded cosmic gamma-ray burst measured with national laboratories, each evolving and benefitting bursts originate from extraordinary supernova Vela (Credit: R. Klebesadel, I. Strong & R. Olson (LANL) from continual advances in electronics and sensor explosions or stellar mergers in distant galaxies, technologies, monitors for electromagnetic and releasing in an instant more energy than the com- energetic particle emissions associated with bined output of all the stars in the Milky Way. Vela aboveground detonations. Following Vela, the sens- instruments also discovered iron, silicon, and other ing payloads deployed on Defense Support Pro- heavy ions in the Solar wind and made seminal ob- gram (DSP) and Global Positioning System (GPS) servations of structures and interactions in satellites form the core of this capability, called Earth’s enveloping magnetic field. the U.S. Nuclear Detonation Detection System. The ground-breaking scientific discoveries and sensor technologies from Vela and subsequent 11” Experimental Satellites treaty monitoring satellite systems led directly NASA Swift Spacecraft devoted to the study of cosmic Global Positioning System (GPS) Satellite (Credit: USAF) to several focused NASA scientific missions gamma-ray bursts (Credit: NASA/GSFC) and Payloads exploring space around Earth, the solar system, and interplanetary space. To ensure optimum capability from the operational treaty verification satellite program, the Depart- ment of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration, through its Los Alamos and Sandia national laboratories, supports a program of experimental satellites and sensing payloads to demonstrate and validate new technologies and capabilities. These demonstration missions included the Array of Low Energy X-ray Imaging Sensors FORTÉ Experimental Satellite (Credit: LANL) (ALEXIS), Fast On-orbit Recording of Transient Events (FORTÉ), and Cibola Flight Experiment (CFE) satellites as well as experimental payloads on the Space Shuttle, the Space Station, and other spacecraft.

The new technologies and capabilities demon- strated through these relatively small, low-cost missions are folded into the next generation of operational sensors for the nuclear detonation The U.S. Nuclear Detonation Detection System is managed as a joint program between the U.S. Air Force and the Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration with its Los Alamos and Sandia national laboratories. detection mission. LA-UR 13-26737

Preparing the ALEXIS Experimental Satellite (Credit: LANL) 8.5” 8.5” 8.5”

January 1958 March 1963 United States launches its frst successful satellite, Explorer 1, 1961-62 “Detectors of this kind (gamma ray, x-ray and neutron) are now in a state of mass

50 Years of Treaty Verification from Space whose instruments discover the Van AEC fies experimental detectors production at Los Alamos and Sandia. The physics design of these detectors is completed, Allen radiation belt surrounding the for nuclear detection on USAF meaning that careful consideration has been given to output signals from a nuclear Earth. Discoverer satellites. explosion, and consideration of how to detect those signals has gone into this design and December 1960 how to discriminate against natural radiations in space.” July 1958 USAF, NASA, and AEC October 1962 Geneva Conference of Experts representatives meet Cuban Missile Crisis. Testimony before the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy On October 10, 1963, the United States, the Soviet meets to discuss a control system to to defne satellite September 1947 monitor for nuclear tests. system to detect November 1962 Union, and the United Kingdom adopted the Limited General Eisenhower tasks nuclear explosions in United States conducts its last October 1963 the Army Air Forces with atmospheric nuclear test; USSR Limited Test Ban Treaty goes Test Ban Treaty pledging to refrain from testing July 1945 August 1958 space. the overall responsibility to follows a month later. into effect; Launch of the frst United States tests world’s United States detonates Argus I, July 1965 detect atomic explosions pair of Vela satellites. nuclear weapons in the atmosphere, underwater, frst atomic bomb, Trinity. One frst nuclear weapon in outer space. Launch of the third anywhere in the world. or in outer space. month later, atomic bombs are pair of Vela satellites. dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. June 1961 May 1955 ARPA approves fve satellite launches USSR frst proposes a halt in October 1957 July 1964 Seven days later the United States launched the under the Vela Hotel program Los President Kennedy visits Vela Project at nuclear weapons testing. USSR launches Sputnik, Launch of the second pair Alamos and Sandia continue work on first pair of Vela (short for “watchman” in the world’s frst artifcial of Vela satellites. Sandia and Los Alamos. (Credit: SNL, 1962) satellite. July 1959 design and development of detection instrument systems Spanish) satellites into Earth’s orbit with the Technical Working Group I of the October 1964 November 1952 December 1957 Geneva Conference on Discontinuance China detonates its frst mission to verify compliance with the newly September 1961 United States explodes U.S. Vanguard satellite of Nuclear Weapons recommends nuclear weapon. Arms Controls and Disarmament August 1946 frst hydrogen bomb; explodes on launch pad. “placing fve or six satellites in earth established treaty. The combination of these August 1949 Agency formed, later to be merged U.S. Congress passes the Atomic USSR follows in Aug. orbit at a distance of 180,000 miles to USSR detonates its frst into the Department of State. events abruptly ended a dangerous era of Energy Act that transfers atomic 1953. detect radiations from nuclear nuclear weapon. June 1973 Trinity detonation (Credit: LANL) energy responsibility from the explosions in space.” accelerated atmospheric and space-based Manhattan Engineering District December 1961 First published reports of cosmic gamma-ray bursts, as to the Atomic Energy September 1959 Space Technology Laboratory, a recorded by instruments on nuclear weapons testing. Commission (AEC). DoD funds ARPA for research in subsidiary of the Ramo-Wooldridge the Vela 5 and 6 satellites nuclear test monitoring technology. Corporation selected as spacecraft February 1959 from 1969 to 1972. ARPA teams with AEC’s Los Alamos contractor. USAF launches frst of Discoverer 11” and Sandia laboratories, which have The rapid development and success of the Vela satellite series. already been working on the problem. March 1970 satellite program marked the beginning of an Vela program begins. May 1959 United States ratifes the Panofsky Panel (High Altitude Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, enduring space-based treaty verification system “ ... at that time ... the technology did Detection Panel of President’s which set a precedent for April 1993 not exist for fabricating reliable that continues to enhance America’s security Science Advisory Committee) international cooperation Launch of ALEXIS, an spacecraft of the required July 1997 recommends a satellite system be between nuclear and today and beyond. This display recounts the Modernized nuclear detonation experimental satellite to complexity.” non-nuclear states to prevent demonstrate new technologies used to detect nuclear tests in space September 1974 detection payload launched aboard and in the atmosphere. proliferation. history of the Vela satellite program and its the GPS’s Block IIR series of satellite and capabilities for x-ray and France conducts its last signals. radio frequency nuclear atmospheric nuclear test. November 1970 continuing legacy. detonation detection. June 1959 AEC directs scientists at Los Alamos Launch of the frst Defense August 1997 and Sandia laboratories to consider Support Program satellite with Launch of FORTÉ, a satellite test-bed technologies for monitoring nuclear nuclear detonation detection for nuclear detonation detection explosions above the Earth’s surface. technology including optical, technologies. Built using a April 1980 x-ray, neutron, and gamma-ray graphite-reinforced epoxy structure Deployment of the frst nuclear sensors. that weighed only 90 pounds, FORTÉ detonation detection payload on carried a broadband radio receiver, a Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite. optical detector and event classifer to September 1984 distinguish between natural and Last of the Vela satellites, though March 2007 October 1980 human-made electromagnetic signals. still functioning, offcially turned Cibola Flight Experiment launches, Launch of a GPS Satellite on a Delta China conducts its last off, 15 years after its launch. demonstrating Reconfgurable rocket (Credit: USAF, 2007) atmospheric nuclear test. Computing technology managed and operated in a space environment. CFE also explored the use of standard, March 2008 commercial electronics, rather than Launch of the 50th specialized radiation-hardened GPS satellite to host a electronics, for space applications. Global Burst Detector nuclear detonation November 2007 detection payload. Launch of the last Defense Support May 2010 Program satellite. Modernized nuclear detonation detection payload launched aboard the GPS’s Block IIF series of satellites. Scientists examine instrumentation for Studying photo of VELA satellite under Space Plasma Environment at the VELA VELA satellite in Environmental Test Back-to-Back VELA Satellites prepared Pair of VELA satellites separate in space. VELA Satellite. (1963) construction. (1963) satellite orbit (18 earth radii). Chamber. (1970) for launch. (1970) (Artists drawing)