(Photo: NSA)īeyond offering the average person a peek into one of the country’s most secretive operations, the museum’s new exhibit also serves as a display of confidence. As a result, this is the first time the nation’s nuclear command equipment has officially been on display. The museum underwent renovation during its closure and reopened earlier this month. The items were originally selected for display two years ago, but the museum closed to the public in response to the COVID-19 pandemic for the same amount of time.
US Presidents have carried a biscuit on their person at all times since the Carter administration. Among the additions are a server called the DEC Alpha, an early 90s machine that generated the actual launch codes, and the MP37 machine responsible for printing the physical Sealed Authenticator System card, or “biscuit.” Each biscuit contained a long string of characters that the President, the US Strategic Command, and local nuclear operators could use to initiate and verify launch orders. The new exhibit is largely made up of the servers and machines used to create the United States’ nuclear codes from 1980 through 2019. The equipment displayed isn’t just mock-ups, either-it's the real deal. Visitors at the National Cryptologic Museum just outside of Washington, DC can now peruse the technology used to generate nuclear launch codes until just three years ago. The National Security Agency (NSA) has added an unexpected new exhibit to its museum: the United States' newly retired nuclear command and control system.
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