The US created a belt of needles around the Earth – what was behind the experiment

In 1963, the United States launched approximately 480 million copper dipoles into orbit as part of Project West Ford, attempting to create an artificial reflector for long-distance radio communication. The experiment, developed at MIT's Lincoln Laboratory, showed limited results: the transmission rate reached 20,000 bits per second but decreased as the elements dispersed. The project drew criticism from astronomers and was never put into practical use.

In 1963, the United States conducted an unusual space experiment: launching approximately 480 million copper needles (dipoles), each 1.8 cm long, into orbit. Project West Ford, developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Lincoln Laboratory, aimed to create an artificial reflective belt for transmitting radio signals over long distances. Within about 40 days, a ring of metallic elements formed around the Earth. The first attempt in 1961 failed, but the 1963 launch was more successful. The system demonstrated a transmission rate of up to 20,000 bits per second, but efficiency declined as the cloud expanded. Astronomers complained about interference with observations. Some dipoles left orbit under the influence of solar radiation, but certain clusters remained in space for decades: in 2013, NASA recorded 46 clusters. The project was never put into practical use—active satellites proved more effective.