Defense Support Program facts for kids

Painting of a DSP satellite.

The Defense Support Program (DSP) is a special group of satellites that fly high above the Earth. These satellites belong to the United States Air Force. Their main job is to act like a super-smart "early warning system" for the United States. DSP satellites are designed to spot important events happening on Earth. They can detect when missiles or spacecraft are launched. They are also used to find nuclear explosions. They do this by using special tools called infrared sensors. These sensors can "see" heat.

What are DSP Satellites?

DSP stands for Defense Support Program. These satellites are like watchful eyes in space. They help keep an eye on things happening around the world. The program started a long time ago, in the 1970s. Since then, many DSP satellites have been sent into space.

How Do DSP Satellites Work?

DSP satellites use special sensors to do their job. These sensors are very sensitive to heat. When a missile is launched, its engine gets very hot. The DSP satellites can see this heat from far away in space. This is how they detect launches. They can also spot the heat from a nuclear explosion. This helps to give an early warning.

Seeing Heat with Infrared

The special sensors on DSP satellites are called infrared sensors. Infrared light is a type of light that we cannot see with our eyes. But we can feel it as heat. Think about a TV remote control. It uses infrared light to send signals. DSP satellites use much more powerful infrared sensors. These sensors can detect tiny changes in heat. This allows them to spot missile launches or explosions.

Why Are DSP Satellites Important?

These satellites are very important for national security. They provide early warnings of potential threats. Knowing about a missile launch quickly gives countries time to react. This helps to protect people and places. The DSP system has been working for many decades. It has played a big role in keeping the United States safe.

A Long-Lasting Mission

The DSP satellites have been in service for a long time. They are known for being very reliable. They have helped monitor events around the globe. This includes watching for missile tests by different countries. They also helped during events like the Gulf War. They detected missile launches during that conflict.

Images for kids

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  DSP satellite deployment during STS-44

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  2d Space Warning Squadron

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  8th Space Warning Squadron

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  11th Space Warning Squadron

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  DSP Flight 1

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  DSP Flight 2

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  DSP Flight 3

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  DSP Flight 4

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  DSP Flight 5

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  DSP Flight 7

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  DSP Flight 8

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  DSP Flight 9

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  DSP Flight 10

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  DSP Flight 13

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  DSP Flight 14

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  DSP Flight 15

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  DSP Flight 16

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  DSP Flight 17

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  DSP Flight 18

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  DSP F1 Launch 6 November 1970

See also

In Spanish: Programa de Apoyo a la Defensa para niños