Project Vela was a collaborative initiative launched during the Cold War by the United States to monitor compliance with the 1963 Partial Test Ban Treaty, which prohibited nuclear detonations in the atmosphere, underwater, and in space. Initiated in 1963, the project developed and deployed a series of surveillance satellites and seismic monitoring stations to detect nuclear explosions and distinguish them from natural seismic activities. The Vela satellites were instrumental in the first detection of gamma-ray bursts, an unexpected discovery, as they successfully identified detonations in both space and the Earth’s atmosphere. The project played a crucial role in enhancing international security and arms control verification efforts throughout its operation.