Project West Ford: The Craziest U.S. Military Experiment in Space

Universe-ity by AJ Perron and Judson Martin

Episode notes

If you thought you'd heard all the crazy stories from the Cold War period, think again. This episode dives into one of the wildest military ideas to date. At a time when international communications were severely limited in their reach and reliability, the U.S. Military was ready to try anything. One such initiative was part Project Westford: a secret military plan to give the Earth a giant metal ring. This episode, AJ and Jud jump into the project's wild history, the science behind it, and its incredibly complicated aftermath. Along the way, you'll learn how radio waves work, how they're used, and the unique role that the ionosphere plays for Earth.

Additional Topics Include: Boeing Starliner, China's new sample-return mission, Voyager 1, and more things Star Wars got wrong.

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Keywords
spacenasauniversesciencetechnologycosmosmoonscience fictionchemistryphysicsspace stationastronomystar talkscifiboeingvoyager