The largest scientific project ever attempted, the Superconducting Super Collider fell to the axe of Congressional budget cutters in 1993, after ten years and almost two billion dollars had been spent on its design and construction. This paper surveys the project’s history and discusses the principal reasons for its termination. Special attention is paid to the impact of the end of Cold War upon the perceived need to reduce budget deficits and alter the priorities for U.S. science policy.