Executive Order

Release of Imagery Acquired by Space-Based National Intelligence Reconnaissance 

Systems

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United 

States and in order to release certain scientifically or environmentally useful imagery 

acquired by space-based national intelligence reconnaissance systems, consistent with the 

national security, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Imagery acquired by the space-based national intelligence reconnaissance systems known 

as the CORONA, ARGON, and LANYARD missions shall, within 18 months of the date 

of this order, be declassified and transferred to the National Archives and Records 

Administration with a copy sent to the United States Geological Survey of the 

Department of the Interior consistent with procedures approved by the Director of Central 

Intelligence and the Archivist of the United States. Upon transfer, such imagery shall be 

deemed declassified and shall be made available to the public. 

Section 1. Public Release of Historical Intelligence Imagery.

(a) All information that meets the criteria in section 2(b) of this order shall be kept secret 

in the interests of national defense and foreign policy until deemed otherwise by the 

Director of Central Intelligence. In consultation with the Secretaries of State and Defense, 

the Director of Central Intelligence shall establish a comprehensive program for the 

periodic review of imagery from systems other than the CORONA, ARGON, and 

LANYARD missions, with the objective of making available to the public as much 

imagery as possible consistent with the interests of national defense and foreign policy. 

For imagery from obsolete broad-area film-return systems other than CORONA, 

ARGON, and LANYARD missions, this review shall be completed within five years of 

the date of this order. Review of imagery from any other system that the Director of 

Central Intelligence deems to be obsolete shall be accomplished according to a timetable 

established by the Director of Central Intelligence. The Director of Central Intelligence 

shall report annually to the President on the implementation of this order. 

Section 2. Review for Future Public Release of Intelligence Imagery. 
(b) The criteria referred to in section 2(a) of this order consists of the following: imagery 

acquired by a space-based national intelligence reconnaissance system other than the 

CORONA, ARGON, and LANYARD missions. 

(a) This order prescribes a comprehensive and exclusive system for the public release of 

imagery acquired by space-based national intelligence reconnaissance systems. This 

order is the exclusive Executive Order governing the public release of imagery for 

purposes of section 552(b)(1) of the Freedom of Information Act. 

Section 3. General Provisions.

(b) Nothing contained in this order shall create any right or benefit, substantive or 

procedural, enforceable by any party against the United States, its agencies or 

instrumentalities, its officers or employees, or any other person. 

As used herein, "imagery" means the product acquired by space-based national 

intelligence reconnaissance systems that provides a likeness or representation of any 

natural or man-made feature or related objective or activities and satellite positional data 

acquired at the same time the likeness or representation was acquired.

Section 4. Definition. 

—THE WHITE HOUSE