On September 26 , 1983 , the world came very close to nuclear warfare . in short after midnight , alarms inside Serpukhov-15 — a trap in Moscow where the Soviet Union monitor its satellites over the United States — set about to go off . The satellites had detectedthe launch of an intercontinental ballistic missilefrom a foundation in the United States . Then the system reported that five missile had been set in motion and were lead toward the Soviet Union from the U.S.
Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Petrov , who was on duty that Nox , had no way of life of experience that it was a fictive consternation : The planet had misidentify the mirror image of sunlight off high-pitched - EL clouds as a missile launch . He had only a few proceedings to determine if this was a genuine attack . In that case , Soviet protocol was an straightaway counterattack .
It was a tense prison term in U.S.-Soviet relations . On September 1,the Soviets had scoot down a South Korean passenger planethat tramp into its air space , killing a routine of Americans . The United States was performing naval maneuvers near central Soviet military internet site . And preparation were underway forAble Archer 83 , a 10 - day NATO workout in Western Europe that included a fake DEFCON 1 atomic alert . Some Soviets thought Archer was a artifice for state of war that would mask the preparations for a genuine nuclear strike .
On Second Thought…
Under immense force per unit area , Petrov ultimately decide that the satellites were faulty . In increase to what he name “ a funny feeling in my intestine , " he had other evidence to suggest account of an tone-beginning were false . earth - base radiolocation had n’t detected any incoming missile , even a few minute after the artificial satellite warning signal ( the holdup is because ground - based microwave radar ca n’t see over the horizon ) . What ’s more , Petrov had been told any plan of attack would be a full barrage of missile , not just five , and he know that the system had flaw . He reported his finding to his superiors , who did not launch an onset .
Though he was at first praised for his decision , Petrov was later on interrogate intensely , and in the end , was not penalise or rewarded for being a cardinal part of ward off atomic war and hold enter the human beings .
