“Sputnik II has materially increased the threat to our national security. Sputnik’s weight of 1,100 pounds proves that they can send us an H-Bomb. It is vitally important that the United States launch a satellite at the earliest possible moment. This is the only way we can truly protect ourselves.”

American launch pad failures, disagreement over funding and whose authority space endeavors should be put under thwarted satellite development efforts into 1958. To end debate President Eisenhower signed Public Law 85-325 and Department of Defense Directive 5105.41, forming the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) in February 1958 to fund and support the scientific and technological projects necessary to serve the security interests of the country. ARPA directed Project SCORE and system development was assigned to the U.S. Army’s Signal Research and Development Laboratory (SRDL) at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. Eighty-eight civilians and soldiers were secretly tasked to the project, some of whom were still completing their work on the secret nuclear test Projects Hardtack I and II at the time of their selection. To prevent any leaks regarding the project, neither Congress, military leadership, NSA nor CIA were consulted.

On the evening of the launch, President Eisenhower hosted a dinner for a delegation from Soviet-controlled Poland. During the meal, a naval officer whispered in the President’s ear with the message from the situation room that the launch was a success. The President interrupted the dinner and announced the existence of SCORE. With an audience erupting in cheers, even the Polish delegation was magnanimous in their accolades over the technological achievement. In his announcement, the President made a point to describe the combined 9000 pound weight of the Atlas rocket and payload, stimulating debate that SCORE, while a peaceful mission, indeed served to show the Soviet Union that the United States was now capable of delivering a nuclear payload from space.

Whatever the proposed tactical advantage sought, the communication satellite provided the confidence national leaders needed to calm hysterical impulses in a fearful world. The ambitious, yet peaceful, space programs that followed offered countries alternative technical methods to display their power and global influence, and in so doing, blunted the strategic value of tactical nuclear weapons.

The very first transmitted message from space to the world below:

“This is the President of the United States speaking. Through the marvels of scientific advance, my voice is coming to you via a satellite circling in outer space. My message is a simple one: Through this unique means I convey to you and all mankind, America’s wish for peace on Earth and goodwill toward men everywhere.”

About the inventor . . .

To his co-workers at Fort Monmouth, he was considered an Army version of General Electric’s Charles Steinmetz. To the Pentagon, he was U.S. Army Electrical Engineer, Position #73-750E, GS-13, Sensitive Classification, Test and Operations Directorate, Tactical Systems Testing Division, US Army Satellite Communications Agency. To our family, he was ‘Dad’.

At his funeral in 1997, two scientists from Fort Monmouth disclosed the above story to our family. It was the first time we had ever heard of SCORE or the extent of my father’s contributions to United States satellite and space programs. He lived in service to his country for 35 years and, as a top secret Army engineer, retained almost complete iron-clad discretion about his work until his death.

Michael Masterman-Smith
On behalf of Kenneth Masterman-Smith, US Army (retired, deceased)