MIT Lincoln Laboratory facts for kids
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| Established | 1951 |
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| Research type | Advanced science/technology |
| Budget | $1.01 billion |
| Director | Eric D. Evans |
| Location | Lexington, Massachusetts, United States |
| Campus | Hanscom Air Force Base |
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Operating agency
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
The MIT Lincoln Laboratory is a special research center in Lexington, Massachusetts. It's like a super-smart workshop for the United States government. Their main job is to use amazing technology to solve problems related to keeping the country safe.
They work on creating new technologies and building quick test versions of systems. Their main skills are in sensors, which are like super-eyes and ears, and in processing information to help make smart decisions. They also work on communications. All their projects help with ten important missions. The lab also has several smaller research sites around the world.
The laboratory shares its new technologies with government groups, companies, and universities. It has even helped start more than 100 new businesses!
Contents
History of Lincoln Lab
Why Was Lincoln Lab Created?
The United States Air Force asked the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to create Lincoln Laboratory in 1951. This was part of a big plan to make the U.S. air defense system much better. Air defense means protecting the country from air attacks.
Scientists like Ivan A. Getting, Louis Ridenour, and George E. Valley Jr. helped start the lab. They had worked on similar projects during World War II.
In 1950, a report said the U.S. wasn't ready for an air attack. Because MIT had managed a similar lab during World War II and was good at electronics, the Air Force thought MIT could help. They wanted MIT to develop ways to find, identify, and stop air threats.
James R. Killian, who was the president of MIT, wasn't sure about starting a new lab. He asked the Air Force if MIT could first study the idea. This study was called Project Charles. It happened from February to August 1951.
The study found that the U.S. really needed a better air defense system. It strongly supported creating a lab at MIT for these problems.
The new project was first called Project Lincoln. It was built near Hanscom Air Force Base. This area is where the towns of Bedford, Lexington, and Lincoln meet. The name "Lincoln" was chosen because other projects already used "Bedford" and "Lexington."
SAGE: A Computing Breakthrough
The Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) Air Defense System was a huge step for MIT Lincoln Laboratory. It was designed to protect the United States from air attacks. SAGE needed to collect, analyze, and share information from many radars very quickly. This way, defenses could react fast if needed.
The most important part of SAGE was a computer that could work reliably in real time. MIT's Whirlwind computer, built in the 1940s, seemed like a good start. But it wasn't fast or reliable enough.
Then, Jay Wright Forrester, an MIT professor, found a solution: magnetic-core memory. This invention made computers much more reliable and twice as fast! Magnetic-core memory changed computing forever. Computers became useful for many more things than just math. Other companies quickly used this new technology.
In 1955, the TX-0 computer was built. It was a smaller, faster version of Whirlwind. It used transistors, which were new at the time.
The SAGE air defense network used a system called AN/FSQ-7 Combat Direction Central. This system was based on ideas from Whirlwind II, which was never fully built. Lincoln Laboratory helped develop this important system.
Lincoln Laboratory quickly became known for its amazing work in air defense electronics. Many of their early inventions led to better ways to find and track aircraft and vehicles. These ideas are still important for today's research.
Lincoln Lab Today
Since it started, MIT Lincoln Laboratory has worked on many more problems. Besides air defense, they now work on:
- Watching things in space
- Defending against missiles
- Watching surfaces and identifying objects
- Communication systems
- Cyber security (protecting computers from attacks)
- Protecting the homeland
- High-performance computing (super-fast computers)
- Air traffic control (managing airplanes)
- Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR)
The lab's main skills are in sensors, getting information from signals, communications, and helping people make decisions. All this is supported by advanced electronic technology.
Lincoln Laboratory does research for the military and other government groups. They focus on creating new technologies and building test versions of systems. Their work goes from basic studies to designing and testing new systems. They also make sure their technology is shared with other companies.
The lab's work is divided into several key areas:
- Space Control
- Air, Missile, and Maritime Defense Technology
- Communication Systems
- Cyber Security and Information Sciences
- Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Systems and Technology
- Advanced Technology
- Tactical Systems
- Homeland Protection
- Air Traffic Control
- Engineering
- Biotechnology
Lincoln Laboratory also works with groups like NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. For example, they help with space laser communication and environmental monitoring.
Sharing information is a big part of Lincoln Laboratory's mission. They hold workshops, seminars, and courses. They also publish the Lincoln Laboratory Journal, which has articles about their research. They share news and achievements on their website too.
MIT Lincoln Laboratory works closely with the main MIT campus. They do research together, have student internships, and share ideas through talks. They also work together on community and education projects.
Who Works at Lincoln Lab?
About 1,700 technical staff members work on research and building test systems. These experts come from many science and engineering fields. Many are electrical engineers, physicists, computer scientists, and mathematicians. Two-thirds of them have advanced degrees, and 60% have doctoral degrees (PhDs).
The technical work is organized into eight main groups:
- Air, Missile, & Maritime Defense Technology
- Homeland Protection and Air Traffic Control
- Cyber Security and Information Sciences
- Communication Systems
- Engineering
- Advanced Technology
- Space Systems and Technology
- ISR and Tactical Systems
Lincoln Laboratory also has about 1,300 people who help with things like contracts, facilities, finances, and human resources. These support teams help the scientists and engineers do their important work.
The lab also supports many community programs. They offer science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education programs for students from kindergarten to high school. Volunteers from the lab help with these programs. They also organize events to raise money for charities and support U.S. troops.
Special Test Sites
Lincoln Space Surveillance Complex
Since 1995, the Lincoln Space Surveillance Complex in Westford, Massachusetts, has been very important for watching space. It has three large radars:
- Millstone Deep-Space Tracking Radar
- Haystack Long-Range Imaging Radar
- Haystack Auxiliary Radar
Lincoln Laboratory also works at other sites in the U.S. and the Pacific Ocean.
Reagan Test Site, Marshall Islands
Lincoln Laboratory is the science advisor for the Reagan Test Site. This site is at the U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, about 2500 miles southwest of Hawaii. The lab helps improve the systems that control the range. They also develop tools to help make decisions in real time.
Experimental Test Site at White Sands Missile Range
The Lincoln Laboratory Experimental Test Site (ETS) is a special facility in Socorro, New Mexico. It uses light and optics to test things. The lab runs ETS for the Air Force. Its main job is to develop and test advanced technologies for watching space. ETS helps the U.S. Air Force Space Command.
A special project called Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) uses telescopes at White Sands. This project helps NASA find comets and asteroids, especially those that come close to Earth. LINEAR has found a huge number of minor planets in our Solar System. As of 2020, LINEAR is credited with finding 149,793 minor planets! It is the most successful asteroid survey program ever.
In 2013, NASA's LADEE spacecraft, which orbited the Moon, carried a special communication device built by Lincoln Laboratory. This device used lasers to talk to a ground station at White Sands. This system, called Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration (LLCD), sent data faster than ever before for deep-space communication. Now, many new laser systems are being developed to send even more data for science and space exploration.
Directors of Lincoln Lab
- Francis Wheeler Loomis, 1951 – 1952
- Albert G. Hill, 1952 – 1955
- Marshall G. Holloway, 1955 – 1957
- Carl F.J. Overhage, 1957 – 1964
- William H. Radford, 1964 – 1966
- C. Robert Wieser, acting director, 1966 – 1967
- Milton U. Clauser, 1967 – 1970
- Gerald P. Dinneen, 1970 – 1977
- Walter E. Morrow Jr., 1977 – 1998
- David L. Briggs, 1998 – 2006
- Eric D. Evans, 2006 – present
Images for kids
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Lincoln Lab icon
See also
- List of United States college laboratories conducting basic defense research
- Federally funded research and development centers
