Norwegian rocket incident

In 1995, Norway and the United States launched a rocket with equipment to study the Aurora Borealis. The rocket reached over 900 miles in altitude and was detected by Russian radar operators — who had not received the information of the planned and announced scientific study — and interpreted as a missile launched from a submarine. The Russian government immediately activated its nuclear protocol and alerted President Boris Yeltsin, who had ten minutes to decide whether or not to launch a counter-attack. The military determined that the rocket was heading away from Russia and was therefore not an incoming attack.

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