U-2s Around the World in the Cold War
A USAF U-2D at Edwards AFB, Calif., around 1960. The devices above and behind the cockpit include an infrared sensor installed to test the Missile Detection and Alarm System (MIDAS). This technology supported development of satellites to detect Soviet ballistic missile launches. The upper part of the aircraft is painted black to avoid confusing the sensor in the white dome above the cockpit. A second crewman behind the pilot operated the MIDAS instruments. (U.S. Air Force photo)