U.S. Military Uses of Space, 1945–1991

A critical yet often overlooked arena of national security concern is outer space.  This collection of previously classified histories, program management directives, requirements studies, and other documents shows the evolution of a variety of U.S. military space programs – historically among the most highly classified documents of the U.S. government. Topics range from a 1951 report on using satellites for reconnaissance to a 1990 briefing paper on air support to Operation Desert Shield.  The U.S. Military Uses of Space collection provides an unusually extensive documentary record of this highly sensitive subject.