NWODB - National Reconnaissance Office

National Reconnaissance Office

United States government agency that deploys and monitors spy satellites.

It was created when then Deputy Secretary of Defense Roswell Gilpatric wrote a letter to the head of the CIA Allen Dulles giving the go-ahead for the project.

It operated as a clandestine operation for thirty one years before it was declassified to the public in 1992. This is in spite of president Eisenhower stating that it would be an unclassified group.

National Reconnaissance Office

Alias	NRO
Website	nro.gov

NRO Declassified After 31 Years Of Clandestine Operations

Started 1992-09-18Ended 1992-09-18

Founded in 1960 the National Reconnaissance Office ran as a secret arm of the CIA for over thirty one years before it’s declassification in late 1992.

National Reconnaissance Office

NRO Declared A Secret Organization

Started 1963-07-14Ended 1963-07-14

In a government memo (declassified May 3rd 2004) the NRO which was not a secret group (but not advertised) was given secret classification. It stated that Dr. Brockway McMillan is set up as the Director of the group, with his “cover for his position” being the Under Secretary of the Air Force. The NRO would operate under the cover of the Secretary of the Air Force Space Systems. The document goes on to say that “it is essential that all appropriate personnel .. be fully aware of the covert nature of the NRO”.

National Reconnaissance Office