
Corona reconnaissance satellites - DrScump
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corona_%28satellite%29
======
salimmadjd
For anyone interested in the Cold War stuff, especially satellite image
recovery. I recommend watching the movie (fictional) Ice Station Zebra [1]

Also, when it comes to satellites nothing blew my mind as much as learning the
Hubble Space Telescope was initially created as a spy satellite [2]

[1]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Station_Zebra](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Station_Zebra)
[2]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KH-11_Kennan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KH-11_Kennan)

~~~
InclinedPlane
The Hubble was not initially created as a spy satellite, but the two systems
have some fundamental similarities due to basic constraints of the role and
launch systems. Any such craft would have a large mirror, a light shield, an
instrument bay behind the mirror, and solar panels. Exactly how close the
KH-11 and HST designs are otherwise is entirely speculative since the KH-11
design is still classified.

~~~
mikecb
Somewhat similar, but with a much different field of view, given that they
have to focus on things much closer than hubble. A pair was recently donated
to NASA,[1] and reported as KH-11s.[2] I guess they've moved on since the
first 11 was launched in the '70s.

[1] [http://www.space.com/16000-spy-satellites-space-
telescopes-n...](http://www.space.com/16000-spy-satellites-space-telescopes-
nasa.html) [2]
[http://www.americaspace.com/?p=20825](http://www.americaspace.com/?p=20825)

------
DrScump
Here's more details (at least the unclassified ones) from the NRO site:
[http://www.nro.gov/history/csnr/corona/](http://www.nro.gov/history/csnr/corona/)

And a press release on the 50th anniversary of first launch:
[http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-successful-
cor...](http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-successful-corona-
remote-sensing-satellite-built-by-lockheed-martin-marks-50-year-
anniversary-101470949.html)

(the press release has an obsolete link for the NRO page; the one I put at top
here is correct)

