MIT Lincoln Laboratory facts for kids
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Admiral Christopher Grady visits in 2024
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| Established | 1951 |
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| Research type | Advanced science/technology |
| Budget | $1.01 billion |
| Director | Melissa G. Choi |
| 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, located in Lexington, Massachusetts, is a special research center. It's funded by the United States Department of Defense. Its main job is to use advanced technology to solve problems related to national security. This means they work on projects that help keep the country safe.
The scientists and engineers at the lab focus on developing new technologies for the future. They also quickly build and test new systems. Their main skills are in creating sensors, processing information from these sensors, helping people make good decisions, and improving communication. All their work fits into ten main areas. The laboratory also has several other locations around the world.
The lab shares much of its new technology with government groups, companies, and universities. It has even helped start more than 100 new companies!
Contents
History of the Lab
How It Started
The Lincoln Laboratory was created in 1951 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The United States Air Force asked for it to help make the U.S. air defense system better. Some key people who helped start the lab had worked at the MIT Radiation Laboratory during World War II. These included scientists like Ivan A. Getting, Louis Ridenour, and George E. Valley Jr.
The idea for the lab came after George Valley looked into the U.S. air defenses. In 1950, a report said that the United States was not ready for an air attack. Because MIT had managed the Radiation Laboratory during World War II and had smart people who knew about advanced electronics, the Air Force thought MIT could do the research needed. They wanted to develop an air defense system that could find, identify, and stop air threats.
James R. Killian, who was the president of MIT, wasn't sure about MIT getting involved in air defense. He asked the Air Force if MIT could first study the need for a new lab. This study was called Project Charles. It happened between February and August 1951. The study's final report said that the U.S. needed a better air defense system. It strongly supported creating a lab at MIT to work on air defense problems.
This new project was first called Project Lincoln. The new lab was built on Laurence G. Hanscom Field, which is now Hanscom Air Force Base. This area is where the towns of Bedford, Lexington, and Lincoln meet. Since there were already projects named Project Bedford and Project Lexington, the person in charge decided to name the new project after the town of Lincoln.
The SAGE System
The Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) Air Defense System was a very important early project for MIT Lincoln Laboratory. It showed how the lab could develop new technology. SAGE was designed to protect the United States from air attacks. The system collected and analyzed information from many radars. It then quickly sent this data so that defenses could react if needed. A special computer that could work reliably in real time was key to this system.
MIT's Whirlwind computer, built in the 1940s, seemed like it could work for SAGE. However, Whirlwind wasn't reliable or fast enough to process data from dozens or even 100 radars. Jay Wright Forrester, an MIT professor who helped create Whirlwind, found a big solution: the magnetic-core memory. This invention made computers much more reliable and twice as fast!
Magnetic-core memory changed computing forever. Computers became more than just big, fast calculators; they could be used for many different things. Companies watched this development closely and started using magnetic-core memory, which greatly expanded what computers could do.
The TX-0 computer was built in 1955 and started working in 1956. It was a smaller, faster version of Whirlwind that used transistors.
While Whirlwind II was never finished, parts of its design were used in the AN/FSQ-7 Combat Direction Central. This became the main command and control system for the SAGE air defense network. Lincoln Laboratory helped a lot with this development.
Lincoln Laboratory quickly became known for being a leader in advanced electronics for air defense. Many of their early technical ideas later led to better systems for finding and tracking aircraft and vehicles. These ideas still form the basis for much of their research today.
Today's Work
Since it started, MIT Lincoln Laboratory's work has grown. It no longer just focuses on air defense. Now, it also works on:
- Watching things in space
- missile defense
- Watching surfaces and identifying objects
- Communication systems
- cyber security
- Protecting the homeland
- high-performance computing
- Air traffic control
- Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR)
The lab's main strengths are in sensors, getting information from signals, communication, and helping with decisions. All of this is supported by strong work in advanced electronic technology.
Lincoln Laboratory does research and development for the military, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and other government groups. Their projects focus on creating and testing new technologies and abilities. Their work ranges from basic investigations to designing and testing prototype systems in the field. They also focus on getting their new technology used by companies.
The work at Lincoln Laboratory is divided into several important areas:
- Space control
- Air, missile, and sea defense technology
- Communication systems
- Cybersecurity and information sciences
- Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems
- Advanced technology
- Tactical systems (for military operations)
- Homeland protection
- Air traffic control
- Engineering
- Biotechnology
Lincoln Laboratory also works for other government groups, not just the Department of Defense. For example, they have projects on laser communication in space and space science. They also help with environmental monitoring for NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Sharing information with the government, universities, and companies is a big part of Lincoln Laboratory's mission. They share technical information through workshops, seminars, and courses held at the lab. They also publish the Lincoln Laboratory Journal, which has articles about their research. Other publications include "Tech Notes" and an "Annual Report." News about their technical achievements is also on their website.
MIT Lincoln Laboratory has a strong connection with the main MIT campus. They work together on research, have student internship programs, and share ideas through seminars. They also team up on community and educational projects.
People and Organization
About 1,700 technical staff members work on research, building prototypes, and testing things in the field. These staff members come from many science and engineering fields. Electrical engineering, physics, computer science, and mathematics are some of the most common. Two-thirds of the professional staff have advanced degrees, and 60% of those have doctoral degrees (Ph.D.s).
The technical work is organized into eight main divisions:
- 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 1300 people who support the research and development. They work in departments like Contracting, Facility Services, Financial Services, Information Services, Security Services, and Human Resources.
The lab also supports several community programs. They offer programs that encourage education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) for students from kindergarten to high school. These programs are for the local community and are supported by volunteers from the lab. The Lincoln Laboratory community service program also helps local and national needs by organizing fundraising events. These events support charities, medical research, and U.S. troops abroad.
Other Locations
Lincoln Space Surveillance Complex
Since 1995, the Lincoln Space Surveillance Complex in Westford, Massachusetts, has been very important for watching space. It helps the lab's overall mission to keep an eye on things in space. This site has three major radars: Millstone Deep-Space Tracking Radar, Haystack Long-Range Imaging Radar, and the Haystack Auxiliary Radar. Lincoln Laboratory also does field work at other sites in the U.S. and the Pacific region.
Reagan Test Site, Kwajalein Atoll
Lincoln Laboratory acts as 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 also helps improve the control systems at the range. This includes using real-time decision-making tools developed from their research.
The Experimental Test Site at White Sands Missile Range
The Lincoln Laboratory Experimental Test Site (ETS) is a special facility for testing electro-optical equipment. It's located at the White Sands Missile Range in Socorro, New Mexico. The lab operates ETS for the Air Force. Its main job is to develop, test, and share advanced technologies for watching space using light and electronics. ETS has helped the U.S. Air Force Space Command.
A related program for NASA, called Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR), uses the telescopes at White Sands. These telescopes look for comets and asteroids, especially near-Earth objects. A very large number of all known minor planets in our Solar System have been found by this program. As of 2020, LINEAR is credited with finding 149,793 minor planets between 1997 and 2012. It is the most successful asteroid survey program ever!
In 2013, NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) spacecraft, which orbited the Moon, carried a special communication device built by Lincoln Laboratory. This device communicated with a ground station at White Sands Missile Range. This system, called the Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration (LLCD), sent data back and forth at the fastest speeds ever for deep-space communication. This successful test is now leading to many new optical systems that will allow much more data to be sent for scientific discoveries and human space exploration.
Directors of the Lab
| No. | Image | Name | Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F. Wheeler Loomis | July 26, 1951 – July 9, 1952 | ||
| 2 | Albert G. Hill | July 9, 1952 – May 5, 1955 | ||
| 3 |  |
Marshall G. Holloway | May 5, 1955 – February 1, 1957 | |
| 4 | Carl F.J. Overhage | February 1, 1957 – February 1, 1964 | ||
| 5 | William H. Radford | February 1, 1964 – May 9, 1966 | ||
| – | C. Robert Wieser, acting director | May 10, 1966 – January 1, 1967 | ||
| 6 | Milton U. Clauser | January 1, 1967 – June 1, 1970 | ||
| 7 | Gerald P. Dinneen | June 1, 1970 – April 1, 1977 | ||
| 8 | Walter E. Morrow Jr. | April 1, 1977 – June 30, 1998 | ||
| 9 | David L. Briggs | July 1, 1998 – June 30, 2006 | ||
| 10 | Eric D. Evans | July 1, 2006 – June 30, 2024 | ||
| 11 | Melissa G. Choi | July 1, 2024 – present |
More to Explore
- List of United States college laboratories conducting basic defense research
- Federally funded research and development centers
See also
In Spanish: Laboratorio Lincoln para niños
