The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) is one of the 16 intelligence agencies in the U.S. It designs, builds and operates the reconnaissance satellites of the United States government.^[2] It also coordinates collection and analysis of information from airplane and satellite reconnaissance by the military services and the Central Intelligence Agency. It is funded through the National Reconnaissance Program, which is part of the National Foreign Intelligence Program. The agency is part of the Department of Defense. Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Donald Kerr is the current director of the National Reconnaissance Office. ... Scott F. Large Official Photo Scott F. Large became the second Principal Deputy Director of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force (Intelligence Space Technology) on April 2, 2007. ... John T. Sheridan Official Photo Major General John T. Tom Sheridan is Deputy Director, National Reconnaissance Office, and Program Executive Officer and System Program Director for Space Radar, Chantilly, Virginia. ... A typical classified document. ... A spy satellite (officially referred to as a reconnaissance satellite or recon sat) is an Earth observation satellite or communications satellite deployed for military or intelligence applications. ... The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an intelligence agency of the United States government. ... The United States Department of Defense, abbreviated DoD or DOD and sometimes called the Defense Department, is a civilian Cabinet organization of the United States government. ...

The NRO works closely with its intelligence and space partners, which include the National Security Agency (NSA), the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the United States Strategic Command, Naval Research Laboratory and many other high level agencies and organizations. The NRO is responsible for operating Ground Stations around the world which collect and distribute intelligence gathered from reconnaissance satellites. Lieutenant General Keith B. Alexander, 16th and current director of the NSA (2005–). The National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS) is the United States governments cryptologic organization that was officially established on November 4, 1952. ... The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is a federal agency of the United States Government whose primary function is collection, analysis, and distribution of Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) in support of national security. ... The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an intelligence agency of the United States government. ... The Defense Intelligence Agency, or DIA, is a major producer and manager of military intelligence for the United States Department of Defense. ... USSTRATCOM emblem The LeMay building United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) is one of nine Unified Combatant Commands of the United States Department of Defense which controls the nuclear weapons assets of the United States military. ... Bust of Thomas Edison at the front gate of the Naval Research Laboratory. ...

History

The NRO was established in 1960 to develop the nation's revolutionary satellite reconnaissance systems. It was endorsed by Dwight D. Eisenhower in February 1958 after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first orbital satellite. The need for the agency obtained greater urgency when Gary Powers was shot down in a Lockheed U-2 on May 1, 1960. Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dwight David Ike Eisenhower, born David Dwight Eisenhower (October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American General and politician, who served as the thirty-fourth President of the United States (1953–1961). ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sputnik 1 The Sputnik program was a series of unmanned space missions launched by the Soviet Union in the late 1950s to demonstrate the viability of artificial satellites. ... Francis Gary Powers with a model of the U-2. ... The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed Dragon Lady, is a single-seat, single-engine, high-altitude aircraft flown by the United States Air Force. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The NRO's first photo reconnaissance satellite program was called "Corona". The Corona program, whose existence was declassified February 24, 1995, existed from August 1960 to May 1972, although the first test flight occurred on February 28, 1959. The Corona system used (sometimes multiple) film capsules dropped by satellites, which were recovered mid-air by military craft. The first successful recovery from space (Discoverer XIII) occurred on August 12, 1960, and the first image from space was seen six days later. The first imaging resolution was 8 meters, which was improved to 2 meters. Individual images covered, on average, an area of approximately 10 by 120 miles (16 by 190 km). The last Corona mission (the 145th), was launched May 25, 1972, and this mission's last images were taken May 31, 1972. KH-4B Corona satellite Recovery of Discoverer 14 return capsule (typical for the Corona series Diagram of J-1 type stereo / panoramic reciprocating Corona reconnaissance satellite camera system used on KH-4A missions from 1963 to 1969. ... February 24 is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... February 28 is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 12 is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The metre (American English:meter) is a measure of length. ... is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 31 is the 151st day of the year (152nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

From May 1962 to August 1964, the NRO conducted 12 mapping missions as part of the "Argon" system. Only seven of these missions were successful. 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... Codenamed Argon, the KH-5 was a series of reconnaissance satellites produced by the United States from February 1961 to August 1964. ...

In 1963, the NRO conducted a mapping mission using higher resolution imagery, as part of the "Lanyard" program. The Lanyard program flew one successful mission. Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Codenamed Lanyard, the KH-6 was a shortlived series of reconnaissance satellites produced by the United States from March to July 1963. ...

Missions of the NRO subsequent to 1972 are still classified, and portions of many earlier programs remain unavailable to the public.

The existence of the NRO was declassified by the Deputy Secretary of Defense, as recommended by the Director of Central Intelligence on September 18, 1992. September 18 is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years). ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ...

A Washington Post article in September 1995 reported that the NRO had quietly hoarded between $1 billion and $1.7 billion in unspent funds without informing the Central Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon, or Congress. The CIA was in the midst of an inquiry into the NRO's funding because of complaints that the agency had spent $300 million of hoarded funds from its classified budget to build a new headquarters building in Chantilly, Virginia a year earlier. The presence of the classified new headquarters was revealed by the Federation of American Scientists who obtained unclassified copies of the blueprints filed with the building permit application. After 9/11 those blueprints were apparently classified. The reports of an NRO slush fund were true. According to former CIA general counsel Jeffrey Smith, who led the investigation: "Our inquiry revealed that the NRO had for years accumulated very substantial amounts as a 'rainy day fund.'" ... This article is about the United States military building. ... Congress in Joint Session. ... Chantilly is an unincorporated community located in western Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia. ... The Federation of American Scientists (FAS)[1] is a non-profit organization formed in 1945 by scientists from the Manhattan Project who felt that scientists, engineers and other innovators had an ethical obligation to bring their knowledge and experience to bear on critical national decisions. ... Modern blueprint of the French galleon La Belle. ... A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... A General Counsel is the chief lawyer of a legal department, usually in a corporation or government department. ...

In 1999 the NRO embarked on a project with Boeing entitled Future Imagery Architecture to create a new generation of imaging satellites. The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA, TYO: 7661 ) is a major aerospace and defense corporation, originally founded by William Boeing. ... Future Imagery Architecture (FIA) is a program to design a new generation of US reconnaissance satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). ...

Organization

The NRO is part of the Department of Defense. The Director of the NRO is appointed by the Secretary of Defense with the consent of the Director of National Intelligence, without confirmation from Congress. Traditionally, the position was given to either the Undersecretary of the Air Force or the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space, but with the appointment of Donald Kerr as Director of the NRO in July 2005 the position is now independent. The United States Department of Defense, abbreviated DoD or DOD and sometimes called the Defense Department, is a civilian Cabinet organization of the United States government. ... The United States Secretary of Defense is the head of the United States Department of Defense (DoD), concerned with the armed services and The role of the Secretary of Defense is to be the principal defense policy advisor to the President and is responsible for the formulation of general defense... The Director of National Intelligence (DNI) is the United States government official subject to the authority, direction and control of the President of the United States who is responsible under the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 for: Serving as the principal adviser to the President of the... The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerial warfare branch of the United States armed forces and one of the seven uniformed services. ... Donald Kerr is the current director of the National Reconnaissance Office. ...

The NRO is staffed by personnel from the CIA, NSA, the military services, and civilian defense contractors.

Spacecraft

The NRO spacecraft include:

• Keyhole series—photo imaging:
  • KH-1, KH-2, KH-3, KH-4, KH-4A, KH-4B Corona (1959–1972)
  • KH-5—Argon (1961–1962)
  • KH-6—Lanyard (1963)
  • KH-7—Gambit (1963–1967)
  • KH-8—Gambit (1966–1984)
  • KH-9—Hexagon and Big Bird (1971–1986)
  • KH-10—Dorian (cancelled)
  • KH-11—Crystal and Kennan (1976–1988)
  • KH-12—Ikon and Improved Crystal (1990?–)
  • KH-13—(1999?)
• Samos—photo imaging (1960–1962)
• Poppy ELINT program (1962–1971) continuing Naval Research Laboratory's GRAB (1960–1961)
• Jumpseat (1971-1983) and Trumpet (1994-1997) SIGINT
• Lacrosse/Onyx—radar imaging (1988–)
• Canyon (1968-1977), Vortex/Chalet (1978–1989) and Mercury (1994-1998)—SIGINT including COMINT
• Rhyolite/Aquacade (1970–1978), Magnum/Orion (1985–1990), and Mentor (1995-2003)—SIGINT
• Quasar, communications relay
• Misty/Zirconic -- stealth IMINT

Photography [fÓ™tÉ‘grÓ™fi:],[foÊŠtÉ‘grÓ™fi:] is the process of recording pictures by means of capturing light on a light-sensitive medium, such as a film or sensor. ... KH-4B Corona satellite Recovery of Discoverer 14 return capsule (typical for the Corona series Diagram of J-1 type stereo / panoramic reciprocating Corona reconnaissance satellite camera system used on KH-4A missions from 1963 to 1969. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Codenamed Argon, the KH-5 was a series of reconnaissance satellites produced by the United States from February 1961 to August 1964. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Codenamed Lanyard, the KH-6 was a shortlived series of reconnaissance satellites produced by the United States from March to July 1963. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Codenamed Gambit, the KH-7 was a reconnaissance satellite used by the United States from July 1963 to June 1967. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... The KH-8, codenamed Gambit was a long-lived series of reconnaissance satellites used by the United States from July 1966 to April 1984. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar). ... Codenamed Hexagon, the KH-9 was a reconnaissance satellite used by the United States from June 1971 to April 1986. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Manned Orbiting Laboratory early 1960 conceptual drawing that did not use the Gemini spacecraft. ... A leaked KH-11 photo showing the Nikolaiev 444 shipyard in the Black Sea taken in 1984 The KH-11, also referenced by the codenames 1010[1], Crystal and Kennan[2], also commonly known as Key Hole (Big Bird was KH-8 and KH-9 series)[1], was a type... Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... The KH-12, also known by the codenames Ikon and Improved Crystal, is a successor to the KH-11 reconnaissance satellite and also used digital imaging. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... The KH-13 is a potential successor to the KH-12 reconnaissance satellite. ... Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ... The Samos program (sometimes written as SAMOS and standing for Satellite and Missile Observation Satellite) produced a relatively shortlived series of reconnaissance satellites for the United States. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... POPPY is the code name given to a series of U.S. intelligence satellites operated by the National Reconnaissance Office. ... ELINT stands for ELectronic INTelligence, and refers to intelligence-gathering by use of electronic sensors. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... -1... Galactic Radiation and Background (GRAB) is the name of a series of intelligence satellites operated by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory to collect electronic intelligence (ELINT). ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jumpseat is reportedly a code name for a class of SIGINT reconnaissance satellites operated by the National Reconnaissance Office for the United States Air Force. ... TRUMPET is reportedly a codename for a series of ELINT reconnaissance satellites launched by the United States during the 1990s to replace the Jumpseat (satellite) satellites. ... SIGINT stands for SIGnals INTelligence, which is intelligence-gathering by interception of signals, whether by radio interception or other means. ... Lacrosse and Onyx are the rumored code names for the United States National Reconnaissance Office terrestrial radar imaging reconnaissance satellite. ... Traditional radar sends directional pulses of electromagnetic energy and detects the presence, position and motion of an object (such as an airplane) by analyzing the portion of the energy reflected from the object back to the radar station. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... CANYON refers to a series of seven United States reconnaissance satellites launched between 1968 and 1977. ... Vortex, previously known as Chalet, is a class of spy satellite. ... MERCURY (sometimes called Advanced VORTEX) is reportedly the name of a series of three United States reconnaissance satellites launched in the 1990s. ... SIGINT stands for SIGnals INTelligence, which is intelligence-gathering by interception of signals, whether by radio interception or other means. ... SIGINT stands for SIGnals INTelligence, which is intelligence-gathering by interception of signals, whether by radio interception or other means. ... Rhyolite and later, Aquacade are reportedly code names for a class of SIGINT reconnaissance satellites operated by the National Reconnaissance Office for the United States Department of Defense. ... Magnum is reportedly a code name for a class of SIGINT reconnaissance satellite operated by the National Reconnaissance Office for the United States Department of Defense. ... MENTOR, sometimes called Advanced Orion by observers, is reportedly a code-name for a class of three United States reconnaissance satellites that collect signals intelligence (SIGINT)from space. ... SIGINT stands for SIGnals INTelligence, which is intelligence-gathering by interception of signals, whether by radio interception or other means. ... Quasar is the rumored BYEMAN code name for a communications satellite commonly called the Satellite Data System (SDS) operated by the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. ... A repeater is an electronic device that receives a weak or low-level signal and retransmits it at a higher level or higher power, so that the signal can cover longer distances without degradation. ... Misty is the name of a satellite launched on March 1, 1990 for the National Reconnaissance Office. ... Zirconic is the name of a program for the development of stealth reconnaissance satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office. ... IMINT, short for IMagery INTelligence, is an intelligence gathering discipline which collects information via satellite and aerial photography. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... January 15 is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... January 15 is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• National Technical Means
• Reconnaissance satellite

National Technical Means (NTM) is a euphemism for intelligence collection by reconnaissance satellites. ... A spy satellite (officially referred to as a reconnaissance satellite or recon sat) is an Earth observation satellite or communications satellite deployed for military or intelligence applications. ...

External links

• NRO official website
• National Security Archive: The NRO Declassified
• Memo of Declassification of NRO
• Additional NRO information from the Federation of American Scientists
• America's secret spy satellites are costing you billions, but they can't even get off the launch pad

U.S News and World Report, 8/11/03; By Douglas Pasternak The Federation of American Scientists (FAS)[1] is a non-profit organization formed in 1945 by scientists from the Manhattan Project who felt that scientists, engineers and other innovators had an ethical obligation to bring their knowledge and experience to bear on critical national decisions. ...

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Coordinates: 38°52′55″N, 77°27′01″W Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...