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DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE' 

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY 

MEMORANDUM 

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The National Reconnaissance Program (NRP) is a single national 

program" under the executive management of the DOD~ to meet the 

intelligence needs of the United States Government for the development~ 

management, control and operation of all projects for the collection 

of intelligence and mapping and geodetic information obtained through 

overflight of denied foreign territory. The NRP commits its resources 

solely and directly in re sponse to requirements and priorities established by the United States Intelligence Board. The plans and schedules for 

both satellite and aircraft reconnaissance overflights are submitted 

directly to the 303 Committee of the National Security Council for approval. 

The President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board regularly reviews 

and provides guidance on NRP plans and activities. 

The NRP resources consist of aircraft and satellites covertly performing the followIng missions: 

A. Broad coverage photographic reconnaissance. 

B. High resolution photographic reconnaissance. 

c. Electronic signal intelligence collection. 

1. Technical intelligence collection 

2. General electronic search 

3. Directed electronic search 

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4. Electronics order-of-battle determination 

5. Communications intelligence collection. 

A typical broad coverage satellite mission provides 800/0 cloudfree photography of an area of 6 million square nautical miles at a 

ground resolution of five to eight feet. A typical high resolution 

satellite mission provides 55% cloud-free photography of 3, 500 

priority targetq at a ground resolution of one to three feet. The 

satellite electronic signal intelligence collection vehicles provide 

repetitive coverage" and assure constant surveillance, of electronic 

transmissions emanating from within the Sino-Soviet bloc. 

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~UTURE PROGRAMS (RDT&E) 

There are a number of potential problem areas within 

~he satellite photographic collection program which tend 

to determine the course of future RDT&E efforts. It is 

not now anticipated that there will be extensive effort in 

the NRP for improved aircraft photo systems due to the increasing concern over the survivability of aerodynamic systems , over denied areas. 

The photographic satellite syste~ of the 1970's compared 

with those of the 1960's, are characterized by much higher 

quality of imagery, much longer on-orbit duration, and therefore, quantity of coverage, more efficient on-orbit operation 

and greater cost and complexity. One result of these characteristics is that collection requirements can be met with much 

lower launch rates. One penalty is that the responsiveness of 

the system is much less and the ability to provide timely data 

during periods of tension is less. Emphasis will be placed 

on developments leading to improved capabilities for quick 

response systems, perhaps with features of survivability. 

The techniques used may be near real time electr;nic return 

of imagery from a satellite with a lifetime ofl . Although such techniques are not practical now,~~h-e-r-e--a-r--e----~ 

promising approaches which may yield future capability, 

other problem areas include survivability in the event 

of Soviet harrassment of overflight activities, imaging capability in very low light levels or bad weather, and the utility 

of multi-spectral observations. 

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PHOTOGRAPHIC INTELLIGENCE RDT&E (NRP) 

Introduction 

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Within the NRP.there are several types of RDT&E activities. 

There is an area of Exploratory Development and Advanced Development of components. This area has expended at about $20M 

annually or about c=Jof the NRP and will be discussed further 

in this paper. There is a much larger area of RDT&E funding 

for the development of approved systems for operational uses; 

this area will not be discussed further. 

Objectives 

The exploratory efforts of the NRP are executed by SAFSP 

and by CIA (OSP) elements of the NRO, The efforts are addressed 

to both photographic and eleritronic collection, but the majority 

of past efforts have been for photographic purposes, Individual 

tasks are applicable to either satellite or aerodynamic vehicle. 

collection platform, but within recent years, the majority of 

the effort has been addressed to techniques applicable to satellite collection. There is no attempt to conduct a complete 

exploratory effort, but rather the activity is restricted to 

those which are unique to the NRO, and therefore, the majority' 

of the effort is covert. The NRO relies heavily on the much 

broaderRDT&E activities of the DoD for technological progress 

in areas such as launch vehicles, spacecraft technology, ground 

support equipment. In addition, the NRO conducts almost no 

fundamental research but supports only activities leading in 

an identifiable way to improved capability in mission areas 

endorsed by USIB. 

Discussion 

To illustrate the nature of exploratory activities within 

the NRP, it is useful to consider a specific area which is 

unique to the NRO and where the NRO attempts to establish the 

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base of national competence. Such an area is the technology 

of large, reflective optical systems for satellite photography. Ground based optical instruments are limited by 

atmospheric seeing conditions and large telescopestherefore 

are limited to a few arc seconds of resolving power. Satellite observation platforms are not so limited and have been 

designed to operate to about 0.1 arc seconds. Such telescopes 

must be fabricated with extreme precision and new materials 

and techniques have been required. Thermal distortions are 

very damaging and the NRO has conducted an extensive program 

to develop materials for optical mi'f-erl.-als which are very 

insensitive to temperature gradients. Two such materials 

have been developed successfully together with manufacturing 

techniques for fabricating very light weight mirrors in siz~s 

,of 72 inches diameter or greater. New techniques of polishing and testing large mirrors have been developed to permit 

unprecendented quality of components. Although atmospheric 

turbulence is less imporent for downlooking systems than for 

ground based systems ~ne effects can still limit performance 

at resolutions of 1 : I, and careful experiments have 

been conducted withalloon-borne telescopes to measure the 

effect in a practical manner relating to intelligenge systems. 

These and related efforts were conducted over several years 

and integrated with conceptual design studies which led to 

current system developments for very high resolution systems. 

Another area of current emphasiS relates to techniques 

for electronically transmitting imagery to ground stations. 

Such techniques are now seriously limited by the performance 

of the sensor but several possible approaches to a useful 

solution are being explored. 

Other activities relate to development of fuel cells 

for electric power supplies, improved navigation and pointing techniques and methods for attitude control. 

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