Corona America S First Satellite Program

America s first satellite program.

Corona america s first satellite program.

To the public it was known as the discoverer program its cover name. America s first photo reconnaissance satellite. It s hard to imagine a world without google maps or satellite imagery but when corona was developed in the 1950s satellite photo reconnaissance didn t exist. Since the corona satellite made its first successful flight in august 1960 the intelligence community s overhead reconnaissance programs have been among the nation s most closely guarded secrets.

The corona program occurred between 1959 and 1972 but the american public did not know about the project until 1995 when president bill clinton ordered the declassification of the imagery. Corona was the secret name for america s first spy satellite. Although the us knew the soviets had ambitious programs to develop and deploy intercontinental range ballistic missiles icbms and bombers the us knew little about the scope or. Corona was the nation s first photo reconnaissance satellites operating from august 1960 until may 1972.

The program was declassified at the request of the central intelligence agency in february 1995. This discoverer program then described as a satellite technology development effort was in reality mainly a cover for the corona photographic missions. However the discoverer program did not solely consist of surveillance missions and. Originally corona satellites were designed to spin along their main axis so that the satellite would remain stable.

The first launches of the corona program were announced by the usaf as satellites in the discoverer series. An era when facts were scarce and fears were rampant the corona project was a highly classified satellite reconnaissance program. The nation s first photo reconnaissance satellite system operating from august 1960 until may 1972. The program was declassified in february 1995.

Courtesy of nro twenty years ago this month the world learned about the existence of the first imaging reconnaissance satellite codenamed corona. The first satellites in the program orbited at altitudes 100 miles 160 km above the surface of the earth although later missions orbited even lower at 75 miles 121 km. Lockheed s covert advanced projects facility at hiller aircraft in menlo park california. The government used this name in order to keep its reconnaissance missions a secret.

The corona program was a series of american strategic reconnaissance satellites produced and operated by the central intelligence agency directorate of science technology with substantial assistance from the u s.