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Experimental SAGE Subsector facts for kids

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The Experimental Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) Sector (ESS) was like a test version of a big computer system built during the Cold War. Its main job was to help develop the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) system, which was designed to protect the United States from air attacks. The main control center for ESS was located in a new building at Lexington, Massachusetts, and was run by the MIT Lincoln Laboratory.

The ESS Computer System

The main control center for ESS, called the Direction Center, was finished in 1954. It had special equipment and an early computer called the IBM XD-1. This computer was a newer version of an even older computer called Whirlwind I. In 1955, Air Force members started training on these new computers. A special group, the "4620th Air Defense Wing (experimental SAGE)," was formed. Their main job was to write computer programs for the system.

The ESS system could track up to 48 airplanes at once. It used a special room with screens that showed where planes were. These screens also showed important lines like Air Defense Identification Zones and areas protected by anti-aircraft guns. Each screen also had a smaller display for digital information. Different sounds would alert operators to important events on the screen.

Radar Stations and Their Role

Radar stations were very important for ESS. They used radar to find planes in the sky. The first special equipment, called the Burroughs AN/FST-2, was placed at radar sites in South Truro and West Bath, Maine. Later, a "Texas Tower#2" was added in the Atlantic Ocean. This tower helped create a wide radar coverage area. By August 1955, 13 radar stations were connected to the ESS system, including:

By late 1955, the system needed 44 control screens for its operators. The older Whirlwind I computer was also connected to ESS. This allowed them to test how the systems shared information. It also helped with an experiment to send data from the ground to airplanes. By December 1955, the main computer programs were set. By March 1956, the instructions for how the radar stations should work with ESS were ready.

Testing the System

From November 1955 to November 1956, three big tests were done on the ESS system. During these tests, people in the control room talked to pilots in special F-86L airplanes. These planes were modified to receive data from the SAGE system. Many different groups helped with these tests, including Bell Telephone Laboratories, IBM, and the RAND Corporation.

Later, in 1958, the "Experimental SAGE Sector" even helped control a BOMARC missile that had a problem. The control was passed to another system, and the missile crashed safely into the Atlantic Ocean. By the end of 1958, detailed instructions for the SAGE system were written down.

1959 Experimental Testing

More tests were done in 1959 to improve the SAGE computer program. One test, called "SAGE/Missile Master," checked how the ESS computer could talk to other air defense systems. This test involved communication between the ESS computer and equipment at Fort Banks. A special study was also done to simulate how SAGE would work.

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