oct 16, 1962 - October 16th: American U-2 spy plane took photographs of Soviet nuclear missile launch sites.

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In 1960, the U-2 made headlines when it captured photographs of Soviet missile launch sites, revealing that the Soviet Union was far more advanced in its nuclear capabilities than the United States had previously thought. The U-2 was designed to fly at high altitudes, reaching heights of up to 70,000 feet, well above the range of most Soviet surface-to-air missiles. This made it an ideal platform for gathering intelligence on Soviet military installations and capabilities, including their missile program. The U-2 flights over the Soviet Union were top-secret operations, and the pilots were given extensive training in evasion techniques and survival skills in case of an emergency landing. However, in 1960, one of the U-2 flights was detected by Soviet radar and shot down, leading to an international incident known as the "U-2 Crisis." The photographs captured by the U-2 provided the United States with valuable intelligence on Soviet missile capabilities, which in turn helped shape American foreign policy during the Cold War.

-Cailin

Central Intelligence Agency. "The U-2 Program: A Russian Officer Remembers." CIA, 29 Oct. 2014, https://www.cia.gov/news-information/featured-story-archive/2014-featured-story-archive/the-u-2-program-a-russian-officer-remembers.html.

National Museum of the United States Air Force. "Lockheed U-2S 'Dragon Lady'." National Museum of the United States Air Force, https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-

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