When Neil Armstrong took one giant leap for mankind on the moon, the world shared the historic moment thanks in part to Caterpillar. In 1955, a 40-nation collaboration led by the United States began exploring Antarctica, and Caterpillar helped make it safe and possible. And more than 100 Cat machines helped build the 31-mile tunnel under the English Channel that’s hailed as an engineering marvel.
So, it’s no surprise that a company that’s been building a better world for a century has also assembled serious cred in the history books. From disaster cleanup to landscape-changing infrastructure, Caterpillar products have been there and built that—on every continent.
In honor of our centennial celebration, here are just a few of our more historic contributions over the past century.
Operation Deep Freeze
The U.S. military led a series of missions to explore the inhospitable climate of Antarctica in the 1950s, and Caterpillar helped make them possible.
Operation Deep Freeze, the codename for the scientific missions that were a collaboration of 40 nations, established American research stations and kept them supplied over the years.
What major supporting role did Caterpillar play? We custom built track-type tractors and diesel electric sets to withstand constant temperatures of -65 Fahrenheit, or -53.9 Celsius—while being operated 24/7.
Caterpillar engineers developed Low-Ground-Pressure (LGP) tractors for use on ice. The wide tracks distribute the machine’s weight over a larger surface area, making it less likely to sink through ice or snow. These machines constructed roads and bases, hauled supplies, maintained airstrips and trails, dozed snow and carried snow to melting units to produce water. LGP products are still made today.
Cat electric sets provided the power for heat and lights, communication systems, kitchens, radar and ground control approach systems and the snow melting system.
Bill Smith, manager of Caterpillar’s Defense Products Department at the time, said, “Officials were quick to point out to me . . . they couldn’t stay down here at all, if it weren’t for their aircraft and their Caterpillar machines and engines.”
Cat machines still support Antarctic research stations today.
The Original Moonshot – And Beyond
Caterpillar may be known as earthmoving experts, but we moved heaven and earth to help the Apollo 11 astronauts get safely to the moon and back in July 1969.
Cat diesel electric sets helped power communications between the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) tracking stations around the world and the Apollo 11 spacecraft. The tracking station network relayed commands from the flight director and received thousands of bits of information from the spacecraft.
Powered by Caterpillar, the NASA network established radio and radar contact 250,000 miles out in space.
Caterpillar’s space technology contributions and collaboration with NASA have continued. In 2007, NASA tapped our expertise in autonomy and robotics to develop lunar excavation and construction capabilities.
In fact, when NASA launched a lunar lander in January 2024, employees were proud to learn the Cat® logo was featured on the lander to honor the relationship.
Hoover Dam
Despite the continued Great Depression in the United States in the 1930s, Caterpillar thrived.
In 1931, we adopted the first iteration of our iconic yellow color: Hi-way yellow. We released the Auto Patrol, the industry’s first true motor grader, and produced our first diesel tractor model, the Caterpillar Diesel Sixty.
Twelve of the Caterpillar Sixty track-type tractors were used to help build the Hoover Dam, a feat of engineering and construction.
These machines were instrumental in constructing the diversion tunnels, which spanned nearly a mile and allowed the waters of the Colorado River to flow around the dam site while the dam was being built. Caterpillar tractors also hauled large sections of pipe used in the dam and overburden from the construction site.
In the early 2000s, Cat equipment also supported a four-lane bypass and bridge that enhanced security and made crossing the dam safer and faster.
The approaches to the bridge were prepared using Cat shovels, motor graders, excavators, off-highway trucks, track-type tractors, and wheel loaders.
One of the larger pieces of equipment used on the project was a 5110B L Excavator. With a bucket capacity of 10.4 cubic yards, it was the primary loading tool for the project.
Cat generators were used to pump water from a nearby lake to help control dust on the worksite.
Building a Better Road System
In 1956, the number of cars outpaced the population growth in the United States. The two-lane roads that crisscrossed the country were inefficient, outdated and unsafe.
President Eisenhower signed into law the $50 billion Federal-Aid Highway Act—the largest ever American public works program at that time. To create the nearly 43,000 miles of highway, contractors used Cat track-type tractors, scrapers, and motor graders.
The resulting interstate system was a boon to the economy and small towns. Even more important, it’s credited with saving hundreds of thousands of lives and preventing millions of injuries.
