GEOSPATIAL FRONTIERS
A Publication by Project Geospatial
LOOKING BEYOND
THE MAP
Geospatial Frontiers, a new publication from Project Geospatial, brings together leading voices and experts from across the geospatial ecosystem to tackle the industry's most pressing challenges. Through in-depth articles and discussions, Geospatial Frontiers aims to explore innovative solutions and spark critical conversations that will shape the future of geospatial technology and its applications.
AUTHORS
Adam Simmons
Keith Barber
Fred Woods
The Silent Front: Excavating the Nuclear Belts of Cold War Europe
Uncover the forgotten geography of the Cold War through a forensic investigation of the "Nike Belt," a continuous chain of nuclear-capable missile batteries that once shielded Western Europe from the North Sea to the Alps. By overlaying "archive missile defense KML" files onto modern satellite imagery, this article reveals the "Silent Front" where the US Army's 59th Ordnance Brigade served as custodial agents for tactical nuclear warheads on foreign soil. From the restored high-altitude launch pads of Base Tuono to the forest-reclaimed ruins of the Sauerland, explore a "digital archaeology" of the "Belt of Fire"—a defense system where the protection of land often necessitated its potential irradiation.
The Concrete Archipelagos: A Geospatial Excavation of Project NIKE and the Architecture of American Nuclear Defense
Discover the forgotten "Ring of Steel" that once protected America's cities from Soviet bombers. Based on a remarkable crowdsourced Google Earth KML file from a hobbyist imagery analyst, this article unveils the sprawling network of Project NIKE missile sites. Explore the history of this massive Cold War missile defense system, from the initial Nike Ajax to the nuclear-armed Nike Hercules, and see how these batteries formed defensive shields around vital population centers and industrial hubs. This journey through geospatial history not only illuminates a hidden era of national defense but also sparks a thought-provoking reflection on what constitutes critical infrastructure—from data centers to advanced manufacturing—in our modern world.