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Applications Satellites
During the Cold War, application satellites served national security or civilian interests.
From the beginning of the Space Age, people recognized that Earth-orbiting satellites—able to see and communicate across vast distances—promised unique benefits. In the tense years of the Cold War, such spacecraft (known as applications satellites) evolved down two separate paths: one devoted to national security needs, the other to civilian interests.
Today, hundreds of civilian and military applications satellites ring the Earth, often operating side-by-side in orbit. They provide similar services—communications, photography, remote sensing, weather analysis, and navigation—reaching different but occasionally overlapping communities of users. These satellites have become an integral part of contemporary life. We take for granted daily reports on weather as seen from space and television via satellite, and we have come to expect that satellites will be on alert to enhance national security.
Location in Museum
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA
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Related Topics:
Space
Technology and Engineering
Satellites
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Cold War
In This Exhibit
Tracking and Data Relay Satellite
Object
Upper Stage, Launch Vehicle, Agena-B
Object
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Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA
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