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{{Organization
|OrganizationName=National Reconnaissance Office
|OrganizationType=Intelligence Agencies
|Mission=National Reconnaissance Office builds and operates space recon systems for U.S. intelligence and security.
|ParentOrganization=Department of Defense
|TopOrganization=Department of Defense
|CreationLegislation=Classified executive order by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1960; officially acknowledged by law in 1992
|Employees=3000
|Budget=Classified (Reportedly one of the largest intelligence budgets)
|OrganizationExecutive=Director
|Services=Satellite reconnaissance; Intelligence gathering; Space-based surveillance
|HeadquartersLocation=38.88203, -77.45086
|HeadquartersAddress=14675 Lee Road, Chantilly, VA 20151, USA
|Website=https://www.nro.gov
}}
{{Short description|US intelligence agency in charge of satellite intelligence}}
{{Short description|US intelligence agency in charge of satellite intelligence}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2020}}
 
{{Infobox government agency
{{Infobox government agency
| name = National Reconnaissance Office
| name = National Reconnaissance Office
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[[File:SyrianTanks US SatelliteImagery.jpg|thumb|right|US Satellite imagery of Syrian tanks departing [[Da'el]] in Daraa province after several days of assaults against the town in April 2012]]
[[File:SyrianTanks US SatelliteImagery.jpg|thumb|right|US Satellite imagery of Syrian tanks departing [[Da'el]] in Daraa province after several days of assaults against the town in April 2012]]
{{See also| Chronology of the National Reconnaissance Office}}
{{See also| Chronology of the National Reconnaissance Office}}
The NRO was established on August 25, 1960, after management problems and insufficient progress with the USAF satellite reconnaissance program (see [[Samos (satellite)|SAMOS]] and [[Missile Defense Alarm System|MIDAS]]).<ref name=Stares>{{cite web |last=Stares |first=Paul B. |title=The Militarization of Space |url=http://www.foreignaffairs.org/19851201fabook11624/paul-b-stares/the-militarization-of-space-u-s-policy-1945-1984.html |page=23,46 |access-date=2008-11-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090113113757/http://www.foreignaffairs.org/19851201fabook11624/paul-b-stares/the-militarization-of-space-u-s-policy-1945-1984.html |archive-date=2009-01-13 }}</ref>{{Rp|23}}<ref>{{Cite book|title=America's Secret Eyes in Space  |author=Jeffrey Richelson |publisher=Harper & Row |year=1990}}</ref>  The formation was based on a 25 August 1960 recommendation to President [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] during a special [[United States National Security Council|National Security Council]] meeting, and the agency was to coordinate the USAF and CIA's (and later the navy and NSA's) reconnaissance activities.<ref name=Stares/>{{Rp|46}}
The NRO was established on August 25, 1960, after management problems and insufficient progress with the USAF satellite reconnaissance program (see [[Samos (satellite)|SAMOS]] and [[Missile Defense Alarm System|MIDAS]]).<ref name=Stares>{{cite web |last=Stares |first=Paul B. |title=The Militarization of Space |url=http://www.foreignaffairs.org/19851201fabook11624/paul-b-stares/the-militarization-of-space-u-s-policy-1945-1984.html |page=23,46 |access-date=2008-11-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090113113757/http://www.foreignaffairs.org/19851201fabook11624/paul-b-stares/the-militarization-of-space-u-s-policy-1945-1984.html |archive-date=2009-01-13 }}</ref>{{Rp|23}}<ref>{{Cite book|title=America's Secret Eyes in Space  |author=Jeffrey Richelson |publisher=Harper & Row |year=1990}}</ref>  The formation was based on a 25 August 1960 recommendation to President Dwight D. Eisenhower during a special [[United States National Security Council|National Security Council]] meeting, and the agency was to coordinate the USAF and CIA's (and later the navy and NSA's) reconnaissance activities.<ref name=Stares/>{{Rp|46}}


The NRO's first photo reconnaissance satellite program was the [[Corona (satellite)|Corona program]],<ref name="blank-spots" />{{rp|25–28}} the existence of which was declassified February 24, 1995, and which 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 about {{convert|10|by|120|mi|km}}. The last Corona mission (the 145th), was launched May 25, 1972, and this mission's last images were taken May 31, 1972. From May 1962 to August 1964, the NRO conducted 12 mapping missions as part of the "[[KH-5|Argon]]" system. Only seven were successful.<ref name="blank-spots" />{{rp|25–28}}
The NRO's first photo reconnaissance satellite program was the [[Corona (satellite)|Corona program]],<ref name="blank-spots" />{{rp|25–28}} the existence of which was declassified February 24, 1995, and which 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 about {{convert|10|by|120|mi|km}}. The last Corona mission (the 145th), was launched May 25, 1972, and this mission's last images were taken May 31, 1972. From May 1962 to August 1964, the NRO conducted 12 mapping missions as part of the "[[KH-5|Argon]]" system. Only seven were successful.<ref name="blank-spots" />{{rp|25–28}}
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===Existence===
===Existence===
The NRO was first mentioned by the press in a 1971 [[New York Times]] article.<ref name="NSAEBB257_19740107">{{cite web|url=http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB257/19740107.pdf|title=  History of NRO security breaches|access-date=2010-12-22
The NRO was first mentioned by the press in a 1971 [[New York Times]] article.<ref name="NSAEBB257_19740107">{{cite web|url=http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB257/19740107.pdf|title=  History of NRO security breaches|access-date=2010-12-22
|publisher= National Reconnaissance Office|author= (Chief, Special Security Center)|date= 1974-01-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Welles |first=Benjamin |date=1971-01-22 |title=Foreign Policy: Disquiet Over Intelligence Setup |page=1 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/01/22/archives/foreign-policy-disquiet-over-intelligence-setup-foreign-policy.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=2021-10-18 |quote=The Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency has a staff of 3,000 and spends $500‐million yearly—as much as the C.I.A.— to collect and evaluate strategic intelligence. [...] Its National Reconnaissance Office spends another $1‐billion yearly flying reconnaissance airplanes and lofting or exploiting the satellites that constantly circle the earth and photograph enemy terrain with incredible accuracy from 130 miles up.}}</ref> The first official acknowledgement of NRO was a Senate committee report in October 1973, which inadvertently exposed the existence of the NRO.<ref>{{cite news | date=1973-12-19 |title = CIA and Others: Secret Agencies Studied
|publisher= National Reconnaissance Office|author= (Chief, Special Security Center)|date= 1974-01-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Welles |first=Benjamin |date=1971-01-22 |title=Foreign Policy: Disquiet Over Intelligence Setup |page=1 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/01/22/archives/foreign-policy-disquiet-over-intelligence-setup-foreign-policy.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=2021-10-18 |quote=The Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency has a staff of 3,000 and spends $500‐million yearly—as much as the C.I.A.— to collect and evaluate strategic intelligence. [...] Its National Reconnaissance Office spends another $1‐billion yearly flying reconnaissance airplanes and lofting or exploiting the satellites that constantly circle the earth and photograph enemy terrain with incredible accuracy from 130 miles up.}}</ref> The first official acknowledgement of NRO was a Senate committee report in October 1973, which inadvertently exposed the existence of the NRO.<ref>{{cite news | date=1973-12-19 |title = CIA and Others: Secret Agencies Studied
  | work=[[Sarasota Herald-Tribune]] | location=[[Sarasota, Florida]] | page = 7-A | url =https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Df0jAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0WYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=352,5728451&dq=national-reconnaissance-office |access-date=2021-10-19 |agency=[[Congressional Quarterly]] |author=<!--Staff writer(s)/no by-line.--> }}</ref> In 1985, a ''New York Times'' article revealed details on the operations of the NRO.<ref name=supersecreteyes>{{cite news |last = Bamford |first = James | author-link = James Bamford | date=1985-01-13 |title = America's Supersecret Eyes In Space| work=[[The New York Times Magazine]] | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/01/13/magazine/america-s-supersecret-eyes-in-space.html |access-date=2021-10-19 |page=38}}</ref>
  | work=[[Sarasota Herald-Tribune]] | location=[[Sarasota, Florida]] | page = 7-A | url =https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Df0jAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0WYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=352,5728451&dq=national-reconnaissance-office |access-date=2021-10-19 |agency=[[Congressional Quarterly]] |author=<!--Staff writer(s)/no by-line.--> }}</ref> In 1985, a ''New York Times'' article revealed details on the operations of the NRO.<ref name=supersecreteyes>{{cite news |last = Bamford |first = James | author-link = James Bamford | date=1985-01-13 |title = America's Supersecret Eyes In Space| work=[[The New York Times Magazine]] | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/01/13/magazine/america-s-supersecret-eyes-in-space.html |access-date=2021-10-19 |page=38}}</ref>


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