Usage Conditions May Apply Usage Conditions Apply There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page. IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and image viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. More - https://iiif.si.edu View Manifest View in Mirador Viewer

This pylon was used to carry a U.S. ASAT (anti-satellite) missile below its launch aircraft. The ASAT missile was developed by the U.S. Air Force in the early 1980s as the prototype of a vehicle meant to shoot down orbiting satellites. Launched by a high-flying aircraft, the ASAT was designed to home in and destroy enemy spacecraft by kinetic energy--a concept known as "hit-to-kill." A total of five ASATs were flight tested, including one launched from an F-15 fighter that intercepted and destroyed an obsolete U.S. satellite on September 13, 1985. The program was cancelled later that year.

Boeing made this pylon and the U.S. Air Force donated it to the Museum in 1990.

 Display Status

This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Country of Origin United States of America Type ARMAMENT-Miscellaneous Manufacturer Boeing Aircraft
 Dimensions Other: 4ft 2in. x 18ft 2in. (127 x 553.7cm)
 Materials Stainless Steel, Plastic, Paint, Steel, Epoxy, Nylon, Synthetic Fabric, Rubber (Silicone), Cadmium Plating, , Adhesive, Aluminum, Foam, Stainless Fabric
 Inventory Number A19900065000 Credit Line Transferred from the United States Air Force Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.