Narrator: A TOP-SECRET INTELLIGENCE AGENCY FEW PEOPLE KNOW EXISTS.
THE NRO IS THE NATION'S EYES AND EARS IN SPACE.
Narrator: OUR CAMERAS TAKE YOU INSIDE THE NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE
TO MEET THE MEN AND WOMEN
BEHIND AMERICA'S SPY SATELLITE PROGRAM.
FOR 50 YEARS, THE WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL NATION
HAS BEEN SECRETLY WATCHING FROM SPACE.
Brugioni: MY GOD. THE FILM CAME IN.
WE COULD MONITOR ANYTHING ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH.
Narrator: DURING THAT TIME,
NRO SATELLITES HAVE BEEN DOING IN THE REAL WORLD
WHAT HOLLYWOOD ONLY PRETENDS.
Carlson: I DON'T THINK OF IT AS SCIENCE FICTION ANYMORE.
I THINK OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO NEXT.
Narrator: AT LAST, AN EXCLUSIVE GLIMPSE
INTO ONE OF THE MOST CLASSIFIED GOVERNMENT AGENCIES OF ALL TIME.
I'M NOT GONNA COMMENT.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE ALLOWED TO TALK ABOUT IT.
I'M PRETTY SURE THAT'S CLASSIFIED.
NICE TRY. [ LAUGHS ]
-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
Narrator: THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS
FOR A LAUNCH SHROUDED IN MYSTERY.
THE MASSIVE SATELLITE ABOUT TO GO INTO ORBIT
DOESN'T BELONG TO NASA.
IT BELONGS TO ANOTHER SPACE AGENCY --
THE SECRET ONE.
WE'RE A ONE-OF-A-KIND ORGANIZATION
IN THE NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY.
WE ARE THE ONLY ONES
THAT BUILD AND DEVELOP AND LAUNCH AND OPERATE
A SPY SATELLITE CONSTELLATION.
Narrator: THE NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE
HAS BEEN IN THE SPY BUSINESS FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS.
HOW MANY SATELLITES DOES IT OPERATE?
THAT'S CLASSIFIED.
WHERE ARE THEY POINTED?
CLASSIFIED.
WHAT CAN THEY SEE AND HEAR?
CLASSIFIED.
THE NRO IS SO SECRET, FOR MOST OF ITS EXISTENCE,
THE AGENCY OFFICIALLY DIDN'T EXIST.
WE DIDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE UP UNTIL 1978
THAT WE ACTUALLY SPIED IN ANY WAY FROM SPACE.
ON THIS FACILITY HERE.
Narrator: AFTER DECADES AVOIDING THE PRESS,
THE NRO IS OPENING ITS DOORS JUST A LITTLE
TO REVEAL SOME SECRETS.
Outzen: I'M GLAD THAT WE CAN FINALLY TELL THIS STORY
OF REMARKABLE TECHNOLOGY,
OF REMARKABLE PEOPLE THAT DEVELOPED THE TECHNOLOGY,
THAT WE'RE NOW IN A POSITION
THAT THIS CAN BE EXPLORED OUT IN THE OPEN.
Narrator: THE NRO IS MORE OPEN THAN IN THE PAST.
IT'S ALSO SUFFERED LEAKS OF CLASSIFIED DETAILS TO THE PRESS,
INCLUDING ITS MULTI-BILLION-DOLLAR BUDGET
AND THE NAMES OF SATELLITES.
LAWS RESTRICT SPYING ON AMERICAN CITIZENS AND U.S. TERRITORY.
BUT IF YOU'RE A SUSPECTED FOREIGN TERRORIST
ON FOREIGN SOIL,
THE NRO SATELLITES ARE DEFINITELY LOOKING FOR YOU.
IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN,
HIGH-TECH EYES AND EARS FOCUS ON LOW-TECH TERRORISTS.
WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS COOKING UP FERTILIZER
AND PUTTING SOME SORT OF AN ACCELERANT WITH IT,
AND THEY'RE MAKING 15-, 20-,
SOMETIMES 100-POUND, 200-POUND BOMBS.
[ EXPLOSION ]
Narrator: IT'S EASY TO HIDE AN IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE,
KNOWN AS AN I.E.D., INSIDE A CAR OR UNDERGROUND.
BUT FROM 22,000 MILES UP,
NRO SATELLITES LISTEN
FOR THE WEAK ELECTRONIC SIGNAL THAT COULD DETONATE THE BOMB.
ONE SATELLITE FINDS THE SIGNAL, THEN ANOTHER TAKES OVER.
McDonald: THE IMAGERY SATELLITE
SUBSEQUENTLY WOULD IMAGE THAT PARTICULAR AREA
AND VERIFY WHAT THE OTHER SOURCE HAD IDENTIFIED.
Narrator: WHAT HAPPENED ON MAY 17, 2010,
IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF SATELLITE INTELLIGENCE
REDUCING U.S. CASUALTIES.
Woman: I.E.D. AHEAD.
Narrator: 130 MILITARY VEHICLES LEFT THE CITY OF HERAT
FOR NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN.
THE ESTABLISHED ROAD HAD BEEN PLAGUED BY AL-QAEDA AMBUSHES.
[ EXPLOSION ]
Man: I.E.D. ON THE LEFT SIDE.
Narrator: SO TROOPS WERE FORCED
TO TAKE A NEW ROUTE TO THE NORTHERN BASE.
AS THE CONVOYS HEADED INTO UNKNOWN TERRITORY,
ANALYSTS SCOURED DATA
FROM NRO SATELLITES AND OTHER SOURCES.
WE'RE LOOKING AT AN OVERLAY
OF DOZENS OF DATA LAYERS OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE.
Narrator: A SPECIALIST SPOTTED UNUSUAL ACTIVITY
RIGHT WHERE THE TWO CONVOYS WERE GOING TO TRAVEL.
THE THING I WAS MOST WORRIED ABOUT WAS I.E.D.s.
Narrator: 10 EXPLOSIVE DEVICES
WERE DETECTED ALONG THE NEW ROUTE AND DESTROYED
BEFORE HUNDREDS OF SOLDIERS CAME INTO HARM'S WAY.
THE NRO IS VERY CAUTIOUS
ABOUT SHOWING ANY OF ITS ACTUAL HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGERY.
IF AN ADVERSARY WERE TO KNOW
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT WHAT'S IN THE SCENE,
THEN THE ADVERSARY MIGHT VERY WELL CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOR
OR OTHERWISE TRY TO DECEIVE US.
Narrator: A SINGLE PHOTO CAN BETRAY THE SATELLITE THAT TOOK IT.
LOOK AT THIS COMMERCIAL PHOTO OF THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING.
AN ANALYST CAN USE THE LENGTH AND ANGLE OF ITS SHADOW
TO CALCULATE THE EXACT TIME THE PHOTOGRAPH WAS TAKEN.
ONCE YOU'VE FIGURED THAT OUT,
AN EXPERT MAY BE ABLE TO LOCATE THE CAMERA IN SPACE,
AND IF A POWERFUL ENEMY KNOWS WHERE A SATELLITE IS,
THEY CAN BLOCK IT OR EVEN DESTROY IT.
SECRECY PROTECTS OUR CAPABILITIES,
AND IT PROTECTS OUR ABILITY TO OBTAIN INTELLIGENCE.
Narrator: THE NRO DOESN'T WANT ANYONE TO KNOW
HOW MUCH DETAIL IS ACTUALLY CAPTURED BY ITS CAMERAS.
BUT HERE'S A CLUE.
THIS RECENT GOOGLE SATELLITE PHOTO OF THE JEFFERSON MEMORIAL
IS THE HIGHEST COLOR RESOLUTION AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC TODAY.
OBJECTS OVER FIVE FEET LONG
CAN BE CLEARLY IDENTIFIED FROM SPACE.
NRO SATELLITES HAD THAT RESOLUTION 45 YEARS AGO.
AN UNDISCLOSED NUMBER OF SPY SATELLITES
ARE IN LOW EARTH ORBIT 200 TO 300 MILES UP.
THEY OBTAIN THE MOST DETAILED PICTURES OF THE GROUND.
OTHER NRO SATELLITES ARE SOME 21,000 MILES HIGHER.
AT THIS ALTITUDE,
A SATELLITE CAN ACHIEVE GEOSYNCHRONOUS ORBIT.
BY MOVING AT THE SAME ROTATIONAL SPEED AND DIRECTION
AS THE PLANET,
THEY CAN HOVER OVER ANY POINT ALONG THE EQUATOR INDEFINITELY.
WHILE IMAGING SATELLITES WATCH THE GROUND,
OTHER SATELLITES LISTEN.
COMMUNICATION-GATHERING SATELLITES
CAN INTERCEPT CELLPHONE CONVERSATIONS, E-MAILS,
TEXT MESSAGES, AND RADIO CHATTER.
ELECTRONIC-GATHERING SATELLITES CAN DETECT THE UNIQUE SIGNALS
OF AIRCRAFT, SHIPS, AIR-DEFENSE SYSTEMS, MISSILES, AND I.E.D.s.
IT SOUNDS LIKE CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY,
BUT MANY OF THESE SATELLITES
HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN IN ORBIT FOR DECADES.
SOME OF THEM, IF THEY COULD, WOULD BE OLD ENOUGH TO VOTE.
SOME OF THEM ARE OLD ENOUGH TO DRINK -- OVER 21 YEARS.
Man: AND LIFTOFF OF THE UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE DELTA IV...
Narrator: OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS,
THE NRO HAS BEEN RAPIDLY MODERNIZING.
10 NEW SATELLITES WERE LAUNCHED.
THE AGENCY HASN'T BEEN THIS AGGRESSIVE
ABOUT NEW TECHNOLOGY SINCE IT BEGAN.
Allen: PEOPLE FORGET HOW DANGEROUS IT WAS.
OUR B-52s WERE DISPERSED --
TOTALLY DISPERSED AND LOADED WITH NUCLEAR WEAPONS
READY TO FLY OFF TO THE SOVIET UNION.
Narrator: THE NRO HAS SPENT 50 YEARS
TRYING TO HIDE ITS OPERATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC.
BUT UNPRECEDENTED DETAILS ABOUT AMERICA'S SPIES IN THE SKY
ARE FINALLY BEING REVEALED.
Narrator: A MERE FOUR YEARS
AFTER THE U.S. DROPPED THE FIRST ATOMIC BOMB,
THE SOVIETS TESTED THEIR OWN.
THE U.S. INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY WAS CAUGHT OFF-GUARD,
WITH NO IDEA WHAT ELSE THE SOVIETS WERE CAPABLE OF.
WE KNEW WE HAD TO HAVE TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE
IN ORDER TO FIND OUT
WHAT WAS REALLY OCCURRING IN THE SOVIET UNION.
WE KNEW SOME THINGS, BUT WE DIDN'T KNOW ENOUGH.
Narrator: THE SOVIETS WERE DEVELOPING HYDROGEN BOMBS
ALMOST AS FAST AS THE U.S.
AND BEAT THE U.S. INTO SPACE WITH THEIR SPUTNIK SATELLITE.
THE ROCKET THAT CARRIED SPUTNIK INTO SPACE
COULD ALSO BE AIMED AT AMERICA.
THERE WAS PROBABLY EVEN A GREATER THREAT,
WHICH WAS THIS CONCERN
THAT THE SOVIETS WERE ADVANCING IN THEIR CAPABILITIES
TO DELIVER A NUCLEAR WEAPON ONTO THE AMERICAN MAINLAND
TO WAGE A NUCLEAR WAR.
Narrator: THE USSR WAS DISTANT AND VAST,
A MYSTERIOUS, IMPENETRABLE WORLD.
TO PEER BEHIND THAT IRON CURTAIN,
THE U.S. WOULD HAVE TO FLY OVER IT.
IN THE MID-1950s,
U-2 SPY PLANES STARTED FLYING AT HIGH ALTITUDES OVER RUSSIA.
BUT ANOTHER RECONNAISSANCE TECHNOLOGY WAS BEING DEVELOPED
IN COMPLETE SECRECY AT THE SAME TIME.
IN AN UNMARKED HANGAR IN PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA,
SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS WORKED 'ROUND THE CLOCK
TO TURN A WILD IDEA FROM SCIENCE FICTION INTO REALITY --
A SERIES OF SATELLITES
EQUIPPED WITH CAMERAS THAT COULD SNAP PICTURES FROM SPACE.
THE PROGRAM, CODE-NAMED CORONA, WAS TOP-SECRET.
ONLY A HANDFUL KNEW THE TRUE MISSION.
McDonald: THERE WERE ALL OF THESE LITTLE COMPARTMENTS
WITH EVERYBODY HAVING JUST A LITTLE BIT OF THE INFORMATION,
SO THAT IF THEY WERE COMPROMISED,
YOU WOULDN'T COMPROMISE THE ENTIRE SYSTEM.
Narrator: TO THE PUBLIC,
AND EVEN MANY ENGINEERS ON THE PROJECT,
THIS WAS NOT CORONA BUT OPERATION DISCOVERER.
IT WAS PUBLICIZED AS A SCIENTIFIC MISSION
PAVING THE WAY FOR MAN'S FIRST SPACE FLIGHT
BY SENDING ANIMALS INTO ORBIT.
McDonald: THEY ACTUALLY ENDED UP HAVING A ENTIRE UNIT
OF SOME 50 PEOPLE AT GENERAL ELECTRIC
DEVELOPING A MODULE WHICH THEY CALLED THE MOUSE HOUSE
AND THE MONKEY MANSION.
Man: THE PASSENGERS OF DISCOVERER III --
FOUR BLACK MICE.
THEIR LIFE-SUPPORT CAPSULE, THE DISCOVERER'S PAYLOAD,
MODELS IN MINIATURE THE ESSENTIAL FEATURES
OF THE CAPSULE THAT WILL CARRY INTO ORBIT THE FIRST SPACEMAN.
Narrator: VERY FEW PEOPLE, EVEN THOSE WHO BUILT IT,
KNEW THAT THE CAPSULE'S INTENDED CARGO WAS NEVER MICE OR MONKEYS,
BUT A PANORAMIC CAMERA WITH A TWO-FOOT LENS.
THE CAMERA WOULD PHOTOGRAPH SOVIET TERRITORY
FROM INSIDE THE CORONA SATELLITE
WHILE ZOOMING OVERHEAD AT 17,500 MILES AN HOUR.
Outzen: YOU CAN'T JUST START AND STOP CORONA
IN ORDER TO GET THE KIND OF COVERAGE THAT YOU WANT,
SO MANY, MANY LINEAR FEET OF FILM
HAVE TO PASS THROUGH THE CAMERA SYSTEM
IN A VERY RAPID PACE.
Narrator: THREE MILES OF ACETATE FILM
WOULD BE FED IN FRONT OF THE LENS BY A COMPACT MOTOR
AND THEN REELED BACK
INTO THE AIR- AND LIGHT-PROOF CAPSULE ON TOP OF THE SATELLITE.
BUT THEN WHAT?
HOW DO YOU GET THE IMAGES BACK FROM SPACE?
Narrator: THERE'S NO EASY WAY
TO GET 16,000 FEET OF UNDEVELOPED FILM
DOWN FROM 60 MILES UP.
NRO ENGINEERS HATCHED A RADICAL PLAN.
THE FILM CAPSULE, NICKNAMED THE BUCKET,
WOULD BE EJECTED FROM THE SATELLITE
WHILE STILL IN ORBIT.
AT 12 MILES ABOVE THE EARTH'S SURFACE,
THE BUCKET WOULD RELEASE THE HEAT SHIELD THAT PROTECTED IT
AGAINST THE 4,000-DEGREE RE-ENTRY TEMPERATURES.
A SERIES OF PARACHUTES WOULD SLOW THE BUCKET
FROM 25,000 MILES PER HOUR TO 13
AS IT PLUMMETED TOWARD THE OCEAN.
THE CONCEPT WAS TO HAVE AN AIRPLANE COME ALONG
WITH TWO HOOKS OUT THE BACK END OF THE AIRPLANE
AND HAVE THE PLANE CATCH THE BALLOON WITH THE CAMERA ON.
Narrator: THIS IS THE FIRST TEST LAUNCH OF A CORONA SATELLITE
FROM COOKE AIR FORCE BASE IN CALIFORNIA.
OVER THE NEXT YEAR AND A HALF,
11 MORE CORONA MISSIONS ENDED IN FAILURE.
Outzen: SOMETIMES THE FAILURE
WAS BECAUSE OF THE LAUNCH VEHICLE ITSELF.
SOMETIMES IT WAS THE AGENA CONTROL VEHICLE THAT FAILED.
SOMETIMES IT WAS A FAILURE OF THE FILM.
SOMETIMES IT WAS A FAILURE TO CATCH THE CAPSULE.
Narrator: IN MAY 1960, THERE WAS NEW PRESSURE
TO GET A CORONA SATELLITE UP AND RUNNING FAST.
THE SOVIETS SHOT DOWN A U-2 PLANE
SPYING OVER THEIR TERRITORY.
THE RECONNAISSANCE PLANES WERE GROUNDED,
AND THE CORONA SATELLITE PROGRAM
WAS THE ONLY POSSIBLE REPLACEMENT.
THE 13th LAUNCH OF CORONA PROVED TO BE ITS LUCKY ONE.
THE SATELLITE BLASTED OFF WITHOUT A HITCH.
8 DAYS LATER,
THE 14th CORONA SATELLITE RELEASED A FLOOD OF IMAGES.
IT MADE ONLY FOUR PASSES OVER THE SOVIET UNION
BUT IT BROUGHT BACK MORE COVERAGE
THAN ALL THE U-2 MISSIONS PUT TOGETHER.
Narrator: MORE THAN 1.5 MILLION MILES OF THE SOVIET UNION
WERE PHOTOGRAPHED IN A SINGLE MISSION.
THIS IS THE FIRST IMAGE EVER TAKEN FROM SPACE.
IT SHOWS A SOVIET AIRCRAFT BASE
ON THE NORTHEAST COAST OF THE USSR
ONLY 400 MILES FROM NOME, ALASKA.
THE SOVIETS WERE CLOSER
THAN THE U.S. INTELLIGENCE HAD IMAGINED.
CORONA'S IMAGE RESOLUTION WASN'T GREAT -- ONLY 40 FEET --
BUT IT WAS ENOUGH TO SPOT
65-FOOT INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILES
SCATTERED ACROSS THE USSR.
Carlson: WE WERE ABLE TO NUMBER
THE BOMBERS AND ICBMs THAT THE SOVIETS HAD DEVELOPED.
Narrator: CORONA PHOTOS REVEALED
THAT THE SOVIETS HAD FEWER THAN 25 ICBMs,
NOT THE HUNDREDS THEY CLAIMED.
THEY WERE NOT QUITE THE MILITARY POWERHOUSE THE U.S. HAD FEARED.
THEY DIDN'T DEVELOP 12 NEW BOMBERS IN A DAY
OR DELIVER 50 NEW ICBMs IN A DAY.
IT WAS A FAIRLY STATIC SYSTEM OF GROWTH OVER TIME.
Narrator: CORONA HAD DONE
WHAT NO OTHER RECONNAISSANCE PROGRAM COULD --
CALL THE SOVIETS' BLUFF
AND KEEP THE COLD WAR FROM OVERHEATING.
THERE WERE 102 SUCCESSFUL CORONA MISSIONS THAT FOLLOWED.
ALTOGETHER, THEY DROPPED 39,000 BUCKETS OF FILM OUT OF THE SKY.
WHEN EACH SATELLITE RAN OUT OF FILM,
IT BURNED UP IN THE ATMOSPHERE --
THE WORLD'S FIRST AND MOST EXPENSIVE DISPOSABLE CAMERA.
WORK BEGINS ON THE NEXT-GENERATION SPY SATELLITE,
WITH EYES EVEN SHARPER THAN CORONA'S, IN 1960 --
JUST IN TIME TO CATCH A NEW ENEMY IN THE ACT.
Narrator: WITHIN MONTHS
OF THE CORONA SPY SATELLITE'S FIRST LAUNCH,
A MORE ADVANCED SATELLITE WAS ALREADY IN THE WORKS.
TO GUARANTEE THE TIGHTEST SECURITY,
ALL SPY-SATELLITE EFFORTS WERE GATHERED UNDER ONE NEW AGENCY --
THE NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE.
EVEN WITHIN THE HALLS OF GOVERNMENT,
DOCUMENTATION OF THE NRO WAS TIGHTLY RESTRICTED.
McDonald: IF YOU WERE GONNA CARRY IT
FROM ONE OFFICE TO ANOTHER IN THE PENTAGON,
YOU'D HAVE TO PUT IT INTO A LEATHER POUCH WITH A LOCK.
Narrator: THE NRO WAS BORN IN A WORLD OF MOUNTING TENSION.
1962's CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS PUSHED THE U.S. AND USSR
TO THE BRINK OF NUCLEAR ANNIHILATION.
THERE WAS NEW URGENCY
FOR A SHARP EYE ON THE SOVIET UNION.
WHEN THE FIRST GAMBIT SATELLITE LAUNCHED INTO ORBIT
ON JULY 12, 1963,
IT CARRIED A 77-INCH LENS.
THE VISUAL RESOLUTION
WAS 20 TIMES BETTER THAN CORONA'S CAMERA.
CORONA COULD ONLY SPOT JETS ON AN AIRFIELD,
BUT GAMBIT COULD READ THE NUMBERS ON THE WINGS.
THE SOVIETS PUT UP OBSTACLES SUCH AS FENCES
TO KEEP OUT PRYING EYES.
BUT THOSE SECURITY MEASURES
ONLY HELPED PHOTO ANALYSTS KNOW WHERE TO LOOK.
AND, SO, ANYTIME WE'D BE SCREENING FILM,
AND WE'D LOOK DOWN, AND WE SEE, "HEY. OH. OH. UH-OH.
HERE'S FIVE SECURITY FENCES. SOMETHING IS GOING ON HERE."
Narrator: ANALYSTS WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY SOVIET MISSILE SITES
BY THE ROADS THAT LED TO THEM,
WITH TURNS WIDE ENOUGH
TO ALLOW THE TRANSPORT OF A 65-FOOT ROCKET.
ANOTHER TIP-OFF
WAS THE SUDDEN APPEARANCE OF VEHICLES AND STRUCTURES
THAT WEREN'T IN PREVIOUS PHOTOS OF THAT LOCATION.
YOU CAPTURE PICTURES
OF VERY LARGE AREAS OF TERRITORY,
AND YOU CREATE KIND OF A BASELINE.
AND OVER TIME, YOU'LL GO BACK AND RE-IMAGE THOSE AREAS
AND SEE IF ANYTHING HAS CHANGED.
Narrator: TO FOOL THE NRO SATELLITE SPECIALISTS,
SOVIETS FILLED THEIR MILITARY BASES
WITH INFLATABLE DUMMY VEHICLES.
WE LOOK AT THIS AIRPLANE.
IT'S SITTING IN THE SAME SPOT FOR SIX MONTHS.
WE KNOW IT'S A DUMMY.
THEY WOULD PUT DUMMIES OUT IN THE FIELD, TANKS,
BUT THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TRACKS LEADING UP TO THE TANKS.
SO, YOU JUST PLAY ON THE STUPIDITY OF YOUR ENEMY.
Narrator: THE U.S. AND USSR
WEREN'T THE ONLY COUNTRIES DEVELOPING NUCLEAR CAPABILITY.
IN OCTOBER 1964,
A CORONA CAMERA SNAPPED A SINGLE PHOTO
OF THE LOP NUR BASE IN WESTERN CHINA.
A GAPING HOLE IN THE TERRAIN COULD MEAN ONLY ONE THING.
YES, THE CHINESE WERE, IN FACT, TESTING NUCLEAR WEAPONS,
AND HERE'S THE EVIDENCE FOR THAT.
Narrator: WITH COMMUNIST CHINA JOINING THE NUCLEAR ARMS RACE,
EYES IN THE SKY WERE MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER.
BUT GETTING THE FILM BACK FROM SPACE STILL TOOK TOO LONG.
Man: ...1, 0.
Narrator: IN AN EFFORT TO GET FILM BACK TO EARTH FASTER,
THE NRO LAUNCHED ITS LARGEST AND MOST ADVANCED SATELLITE YET --
HEXAGON.
THE NEW SATELLITE WAS A HYBRID OF THE OLD ONES.
Outzen: HEXAGON WAS A SYSTEM
THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS.
WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DELIVER HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGERY
BUT COULD STAY ON ORBIT FOR A VERY LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
Narrator: HEXAGON WAS AS BIG AS AN 18-WHEELER
AND CARRIED 4 RECOVERY BUCKETS HOLDING 60 MILES OF FILM.
EACH COULD BE EJECTED AT ANY MOMENT
FOR FAST PICKUP BY AIR FORCE PLANES.
MY GOD. THE FILM CAME IN.
WE COULD MONITOR ANYTHING ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH.
Narrator: THIS IS A PHOTO OF A REMOTE SOVIET BASE.
HEXAGON'S EYES WERE SO SHARP,
IT COULD IDENTIFY A MILITARY FACILITY BY ITS RADAR TOWER --
A STRUCTURE ALMOST INVISIBLE TO OTHER SATELLITES.
HEXAGON COULD BE RE-POINTED TO SPY ON ANY AREA OF CONCERN,
AND ITS MULTIPLE PASSES OVER THE SAME SPOT
COULD TRACK CHANGES SUCH AS ENEMY TROOP MOVEMENTS.
Brugioni: WE WATCHED THE SOVIETS,
AND WE WATCHED THE CHINESE ON THEIR MANEUVERS.
AND WE WERE PROVIDING INFORMATION
THAT NO ONE HAD EVER PROVIDED BEFORE.
Narrator: IN REPEATED FLIGHTS
OVER THE SOVIETS' PLESETSK COSMODROME,
THE U.S. KEPT AN EYE
ON THE SOVIETS' OWN SPY-SATELLITE PROGRAM.
OUR SCIENCE, OUR ENGINEERING,
OUR ABILITY TO DO SYSTEM ENGINEERING AND INTEGRATION,
WAS INCREDIBLY SUPERIOR TO THE SOVIET UNION.
AND WE BEAT THE HELL OUT OF THEM IN SPACE RECONNAISSANCE.
Narrator: BUT THE SOVIETS WERE MOVING FAST
ON ONE TECHNOLOGY WE DIDN'T HAVE --
A SYSTEM THAT COULD PROCESS FILM ONBOARD THE SATELLITE,
SCAN EACH NEGATIVE,
AND TRANSMIT THE IMAGES BACK TO EARTH ELECTRONICALLY.
IT WAS CALLED A FILM READOUT SYSTEM,
WHERE THE FILM WAS READ ON ORBIT.
Narrator: IN 1969, AN INVENTION
AT BELL LABORATORIES IN NEW JERSEY
WOULD CHANGE SPACE SURVEILLANCE FOREVER.
BELL'S SCIENTISTS DEVELOPED A WAY
TO CONVERT LIGHT INTO A SERIES OF DIGITAL VALUES
USING A CHARGE COUPLE DEVICE OR CCD.
WHEN THE CAMERA SNAPPED AN IMAGE,
A GRID ON THE SURFACE OF THE CCD MADE UP OF THOUSANDS OF PIXELS
RECORDED THE LIGHT VARIATIONS ON COMPUTER TAPE.
IT WAS THE BIRTH OF DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY.
THE NRO QUICKLY CAPITALIZED ON THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY.
KH-11 IN 1976 WAS THE WORLD'S FIRST DIGITAL IMAGING SATELLITE.
ITS PHOTOGRAPHS OFFERED THE HIGHEST RESOLUTION EVER SEEN
BEAMED DIRECTLY TO EARTH FOR ANALYSIS.
EVEN TODAY, ALMOST 40 YEARS LATER,
THE PROCESS REMAINS A SECRET.
THE ONLY THING THE NRO WILL DISCLOSE ABOUT THE KH-11
IS THAT ANALYSTS GOT THEIR PHOTOS A LOT FASTER THAN BEFORE.
WHAT WE NOW CALL NEAR REAL TIME, OR FAIRLY INSTANTANEOUS IMAGERY.
Narrator: BY THE 1980s, KH-11 AND OTHER SATELLITES
WERE KEEPING TRACK OF THE SOVIET NAVAL FLEET.
PHOTOS SUCH AS THESE REVEALED
WHAT SHIPS WERE BEING BUILT, WHAT WAS ON THE MOVE,
AND HOW MANY VESSELS THE SOVIETS ACTUALLY HAD.
THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT, AND THE NAVY IN PARTICULAR,
WAS VERY CONCERNED
THAT THE SOVIETS WERE GOING TO HAVE
THE LARGEST SUBMARINE FORCE IN THE WORLD.
Narrator: THE U.S. FEARED ENEMY SUBMARINES
BEARING NUCLEAR WEAPONS SO CLOSE TO U.S. SHORES.
THE SOVIETS DENIED THAT SUBS WITH SUCH CAPACITY EXISTED.
IN AN UNPRECEDENTED MOVE,
THE NRO PUBLICLY RELEASED A SATELLITE PHOTO
OF A SOVIET SUBMARINE.
ONCE AGAIN, SATELLITES ALLOWED THE U.S.
TO DEBUNK SOVIET PROPAGANDA.
AS ONE RIVAL SUPERPOWER FADES, NEW ENEMIES RISE.
AND THE NRO MUST PUSH ITS TECHNOLOGY EVEN FURTHER.
IT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH JUST TO TAKE A PICTURE.
TODAY'S WAR FIGHTERS WANT A PICTURE WITH A DOT ON IT.
Narrator: ON JULY 29, 1990,
NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE SPY SATELLITES
WERE ORBITING THE GLOBE AT 22,000 MILES
WHEN ONE OF THEM PICKED UP
A FAINT ELECTRONIC SIGNAL IN THE MIDDLE EAST --
AN IRAQI AIR-DEFENSE RADAR SYSTEM COMING TO LIFE.
SADDAM HUSSEIN WAS PREPARING FOR WAR AGAINST KUWAIT.
TWO DAYS LATER, PHOTOGRAPHS WERE SHOWING HIS EVERY MOVE.
Allen: ON 1 AUGUST, I CAME AND LOOKED AT THE IMAGERY,
AND WE COULD SEE THAT THE TANKS NOW WERE ASSEMBLED
ABOUT 200 YARDS APART OPPOSITE THE BORDER.
Narrator: 24 HOURS LATER, IRAQ INVADED ITS SOUTHERN NEIGHBOR.
TO ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, KUWAIT HAS CEASED TO EXIST
AS AN INDEPENDENT, SOVEREIGN NATION.
Narrator: FORCES FROM THE U.S. AND ITS ALLIES
WERE SCRAMBLED TO THE MIDDLE EAST,
AND OPERATION DESERT STORM
BECAME THE WORLD'S FIRST SPACE WAR.
THE HEAD OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF COLIN POWELL
CALLED GENERAL SCHWARZKOPF AND SAID,
"YOU WILL NEED SPACE CAPABILITIES
THAT YOU DON'T HAVE."
AND AS A RESULT,
GENERAL SCHWARZKOPF AND HIS TEAM BEGAN TO RECEIVE
A LOT OF OVERHEAD IMAGERY TO HELP THEM PLAN THEIR ATTACK.
Narrator: NRO SIGNAL-GATHERING SATELLITES
LOCATED IRAQ'S AIR-DEFENSE RADAR SYSTEMS.
THIS ALLOWED GENERAL SCHWARZKOPF TO DESTROY THEM
WITH SATELLITE-GUIDED MISSILES AND BOMBS.
WITHOUT HIS RADAR, SADDAM HUSSEIN HAD NO HOPE
OF SHOOTING DOWN ATTACKING U.S. PLANES.
COALITION PLANES AND MISSILES
TOOK OUT IRAQI COMMAND AND CONTROL CENTERS.
NRO INTELLIGENCE AND GPS TECHNOLOGY
ENABLED COALITION FORCES ON THE GROUND
TO MOVE WITH PRECISION,
EVEN IN THE MASSIVE DESERT WHERE THE IRAQIS FEARED TO GO.
FROM THEIR POINT OF VIEW, "IF WE GO OUT THERE,
WE'LL PROBABLY GET STUCK IN A DUST STORM, AND WE WILL DIE."
AND FOR OUR GUYS, IT WAS GRIDS ON A MAP.
THEY KNEW EXACTLY WHERE THEY WERE.
Narrator: U.S. SPY SATELLITES
HELPED WIN THE WAR IN LESS THAN SIX MONTHS.
THE GULF WAR WAS A TURNING POINT IN THE USE OF NRO SYSTEMS,
BECAUSE FROM THAT EXPERIENCE, THE MILITARY LEARNED
JUST HOW INCREDIBLY POWERFUL
SATELLITE SYSTEMS COULD BE IN COMBAT.
Narrator: AS U.S. FORCES WERE LEAVING IRAQ IN 1992,
THE EXISTENCE OF THE NRO WAS OFFICIALLY DECLASSIFIED.
AND IN THE YEARS THAT FOLLOWED,
THE AGENCY WOULD FIND ITSELF IN THE SPOTLIGHT.
WHEN COALITION FORCES RETURN TO IRAQ IN 1998
TO DESTROY IRAQ'S MILITARY FACILITIES
AND POSSIBLE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION,
THIS NRO PHOTOGRAPH WAS THE STAR OF A PENTAGON BRIEFING
ABOUT THE SUCCESS OF OPERATION DESERT FOX.
Shelton: WHERE YOU SEE, IN THIS CASE, THIS BUILDING RIGHT HERE,
YOU'LL NOTICE DOWN HERE THERE'S NOTHING LEFT BUT RUBBLE.
Narrator: IN 1999,
NRO IMAGERY WAS AT THE CENTER OF A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS.
IN WAR-TORN BOSNIA,
EYEWITNESSES CLAIMED THAT A MASS GENOCIDE WAS UNDER WAY.
WHEN U.N. INSPECTORS WERE DENIED ACCESS,
PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON RELEASED TWO NRO SATELLITE IMAGES
THAT PROVED WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT THOUSANDS HAD BEEN SLAUGHTERED.
McDonald: THERE WERE THE GRAVES.
THEY WERE ALL LINED UP,
AND THEY WERE CLEARLY VISIBLE IN THE IMAGE.
Narrator: NRO SATELLITE PHOTOS
HAD BECOME A VITAL TOOL IN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMACY.
BUT THE AGENCY FACED MOUNTING PRESSURE BY THE U.S. MILITARY
TO BREAK DOWN ITS WALLS OF SECRECY.
SPY AGENCIES WERE TOLD TO WORK MORE DIRECTLY WITH THE MILITARY
TO GET INFORMATION TO THE FRONT LINES
FASTER AND MORE EFFICIENTLY.
WE START WITH A MAP OF THE EARTH.
AND I'M GONNA ZOOM IN HERE ON JAPAN.
Narrator: AT UNDISCLOSED LOCATIONS AROUND THE WORLD,
INTELLIGENCE EXPERTS FROM THE NRO, THE MILITARY,
THE NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY,
AND THE NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL-INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
GATHER IN WHAT ARE CALLED COLLABORATION CELLS.
A LOT OF WHAT WE DO IS WE CUT THE HEAVY INFORMATION OUT OF IT
THAT SOMEONE MIGHT NOT NEED.
THEY JUST WANT TO KNOW, "IS THAT A CAR?"
NOT, "WHAT IS THE VISIBLE LIGHT SPECTRUM FROM THAT CAR?"
Narrator: THESE COLLABORATION CELLS
HELP U.S. TROOPS IN HOTSPOTS LIKE AFGHANISTAN.
IN 2010, ARMY CAPTAIN DANA CRIGGER
WAS THE INTELLIGENCE OFFICER
OF A REMOTE BASE IN SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN.
SHE AND 1,000 OTHER SOLDIERS
WERE UNDER CONSTANT THREAT FROM THE TALIBAN.
ONLY A MONTH AFTER SHE ARRIVED,
A CHOPPER CRASHED WITH 14 SOLDIERS ONBOARD.
Crigger: WE HAD TO UNDERSTAND POSSIBLE INJURIES
AND HOW WE WERE GONNA GET AN AIRCRAFT
OUT OF A REMOTE LOCATION.
Narrator: CRIGGER'S REMOTE BASE WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY OFF THE GRID.
INTERNET CONNECTION WAS POOR AT BEST.
WELL, AT THAT MOMENT, WE WERE CONSTRAINED BY WEATHER, TOO.
Narrator: SOMEHOW, CRIGGER HAD TO COORDINATE A RESCUE MISSION
IN AN AREA THAT MIGHT BE SWARMING WITH TALIBAN FIGHTERS.
JOINT COLLABORATION CELL. THIS IS KEN POOLE.
Narrator: CRIGGER CONTACTED THE NRO FOR HELP.
MANNY, I NEED YOU TO LOOK UP
ALL THE FORWARD OPERATING BASES IN REGIONAL COMMAND SOUTH
SO WE CAN GET AN IDEA OF WHERE CAPTAIN CRIGGER'S TALKING ABOUT.
Narrator: A COLLABORATION CELL IN THE U.S.
IMMEDIATELY GATHERED SATELLITE IMAGERY
OF THE AFGHANISTAN CRASH SITE,
INCLUDING INFORMATION ABOUT TERRAIN AND ENEMY LOCATIONS.
IN LESS THAN AN HOUR,
THE WOUNDED SOLDIERS WERE RESCUED.
THE DOWNED HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED,
KEEPING IT OUT OF ENEMY HANDS.
WE'RE JUST A BATTALION ON THE GROUND,
AND THEY WORKED TO HELP US.
Narrator: THE RISE OF A NEW ENEMY
IS NOW FORCING THE NRO TO REINVENT ITSELF.
THEIR CHALLENGE IS TO STOP A TERRORIST ATTACK
BEFORE IT HAPPENS.
Carlson: THE ENEMY THAT WE FACE TODAY IS ON THE RUN,
AND IF WE'RE GONNA GO AFTER HIM AND HUNT HIM DOWN,
WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO LOCATE HIM
IN SOME VERY INHOSPITABLE TERRITORY.
Narrator: THE SPY SATELLITES
OF THE NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE
WERE CONCEIVED AND DEVELOPED
DURING THE TENSION OF THE COLD WAR.
40 YEARS LATER, THE GULF WAR WOULD FOCUS
THE NRO SPIES IN THE SKY ON THE BATTLEFIELD.
Man: CLEAR!
Narrator: BUT A NEW KIND OF WAR
IS TRANSFORMING THE NRO YET AGAIN.
[ INDISTINCT SHOUTING ]
IN 1998, TRUCKS RIGGED WITH MORE THAN 2,000 POUNDS OF TNT
EXPLODED SIMULTANEOUSLY
AT U.S. EMBASSIES IN TANZANIA AND KENYA.
224 PEOPLE WERE KILLED, INCLUDING 12 AMERICANS.
THE HUNT WAS ON
FOR THE MASTERMIND BEHIND THE ATTACKS --
OSAMA BIN LADEN.
THE COUNTER-TERRORIST FIGHT
IS MUCH MORE COMPLICATED AND MUCH HARDER.
IT'S EASY TO FIND A TANK. IT'S HARD TO FIND BIN LADEN.
Narrator: SOURCES PLACE BIN LADEN IN AFGHANISTAN.
NRO SATELLITES PROVIDED DETAILED PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE
OF A TERRORIST TRAINING CAMP NEAR THE PAKISTAN BORDER.
SO PRESIDENT CLINTON IMMEDIATELY ORDERED AN AIR STRIKE.
BUT WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARED,
BIN LADEN WAS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND.
THE U.S. MILITARY HAD TO EXPLAIN
WHY 66 CRUISE MISSILES HAD BEEN FIRED INTO A REMOTE DESERT AREA.
THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT WOULD BE TO SHOW AN IMAGE
AND EXPLAIN WHY THIS WAS MOST LIKELY A TERRORIST TRAINING CAMP
AND WHY IT WAS NECESSARY TO TAKE THAT CAMP OUT.
Narrator: AFTER THE IMAGE'S RESOLUTION WAS LOWERED
TO MASK THE SATELLITE'S TRUE CAPABILITY,
THE U.S. GOVERNMENT SHOWED IT TO THE REST OF THE WORLD
TO JUSTIFY THE STRIKE.
BIN LADEN, MEANWHILE, STAYED IN THE SHADOWS.
Hall: MOST ADVERSARIES,
ONCE THEY LEARN THAT YOU'RE DOING THESE TYPE OF THINGS,
THEY TAKE ACTIONS TO MAKE THE JOB DIFFICULT.
Narrator: THE NRO SATELLITES NOW HAD HELP --
VIDEO CAMERAS MOUNTED ON UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES,
BETTER KNOWN AS DRONES.
A U.A.V. CAN SIT AND LOITER AND PROVIDE YOU THAT PERSISTENCE.
Narrator: THE U.A.V.s STAND A BETTER CHANCE
OF PHOTOGRAPHING TERRORIST ACTIVITY AS IT HAPPENS,
WHILE NRO IMAGING SATELLITES
LOOK FOR THE TELLTALE SIGNS OF TRAINING CAMPS AND HIDEOUTS.
MEANWHILE, SIGNAL-GATHERING SATELLITES
MONITOR TERRORIST ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION.
LATE IN THE SUMMER OF 2001,
INTELLIGENCE ANALYSTS NOTICED
THE TERRORIST CHATTER HAD REACHED AN ALL-TIME HIGH.
[ MAN SPEAKS ARABIC ]
WE KNEW A MAJOR ATTACK WAS GOING TO OCCUR.
[ INDISTINCT SHOUTING ]
Narrator: ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001,
NEARLY 3,000 CIVILIANS WERE KILLED
IN THE WORST TERROR ATTACK IN MODERN HISTORY.
George W. Bush: I'VE DIRECTED THE FULL RESOURCES
OF OUR INTELLIGENCE AND LAW-ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITIES
TO FIND THOSE RESPONSIBLE AND TO BRING THEM TO JUSTICE.
Narrator: THE NRO SPENT THE NEXT DECADE PURSUING THE ELUSIVE BIN LADEN.
THEY HELPED TO FLUSH OUT HUNDREDS OF AL-QAEDA CELLS.
CENTCOM REP THIS MORNING NOMINATED A TARGET.
TRUMAN BATTLE GROUP IS PREPARING FOR A STRIKE.
[ MACHINE-GUN FIRE ]
Narrator: WHEN U.S. TROOPS RETURN TO IRAQ IN 2003,
THE NRO SATELLITES BECAME
PART OF THE DAILY ROUTINE OF WAR FIGHTING.
Rubino: THE TARGETS WILL GET NOMINATED.
THEY'LL GET RANKED. THEY'LL GET SENT TO THE NRO.
THEY'LL FEED THE INFORMATION TO THE SATELLITES.
ONCE THAT INFORMATION IS OUT THERE,
IT GETS VETTED BACK THROUGH THE INTEL COMMUNITY
BACK TO THE GUYS ON THE GROUND.
Narrator: IN 2008, NRO SATELLITES CONFIRMED TERRORIST ACTIVITY
AT AN ABANDONED CHEMICAL WEAPONS BUNKER.
AL-QAEDA FIGURED, "HEY," YOU KNOW, "WE'VE GOT THIS AREA,
"AND WE CAN STORE WEAPONS THERE.
WE CAN STORE EXPLOSIVES FOR ROADSIDE BOMBS."
Narrator: F-18 PILOT JUSTIN RUBINO
RECEIVED A HAND-DELIVERED PACKAGE
CONTAINING NRO SATELLITE IMAGES
OF THE BUNKER AND IMMEDIATE VICINITY.
I COULD'VE CLOSED MY EYES THE NIGHT BEFORE,
AND I COULD'VE DRAWN THE BUILDING.
I COULD'VE TOLD YOU HOW MANY STORIES IT WAS,
WHAT ITS DIMENSIONS WERE.
I COULD'VE TOLD YOU WHAT BUILDINGS WERE NEXT TO IT.
Narrator: HOURS LATER, RUBINO'S F-18
FIRED TWO 1,000-POUND GPS-GUIDED BOMBS.
THE FIRST BLEW A GIANT HOLE IN THE OUTER WALL...
Man: HEY, THE FEED'S COMING IN.
Narrator: ...AND THE SECOND IMPLODED THE BUILDING.
THE AL-QAEDA TERRORISTS AND THEIR EXPLOSIVES WERE DESTROYED.
SURGICAL STRIKES LIKE THIS ONE HELPED DISMANTLE
THE AL-QAEDA INFRASTRUCTURE THAT BIN LADEN HAD BUILT.
EARLY IN 2011, THE NRO HELPED NARROW THE SEARCH FOR BIN LADEN.
IMAGES AND OTHER DATA WERE COLLECTED
IN HUNDREDS OF SATELLITE PASSES
OVER A PRIVATE COMPOUND IN NORTHEAST PAKISTAN.
ON MAY 2nd, BIN LADEN WAS KILLED DURING A NIGHTTIME RAID.
Obama: TONIGHT, I CAN REPORT
TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND TO THE WORLD
THAT THE UNITED STATES HAS CONDUCTED AN OPERATION
THAT KILLED OSAMA BIN LADEN, THE LEADER OF AL-QAEDA.
Narrator: THE WORLD IS CHANGING FAST.
TECHNOLOGY ONCE EXCLUSIVE TO ADVANCED NATIONS
IS SPREADING TO EVERYONE, CIVILIANS AND TERRORISTS ALIKE.
I DON'T THINK OF IT AS SCIENCE FICTION ANYMORE.
I THINK OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO NEXT.
Narrator: STAYING AHEAD OF THE CURVE MAY BE IMPOSSIBLE.
Man: WE HAVE RD-180 IGNITION.
AND LIFTOFF OF THE UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE...
Narrator: THE NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE
IS LAUNCHING ITS NEWEST SPY SATELLITE.
IT'S THE 10th TO GO UP IN TWO YEARS --
AN AGGRESSIVE CAMPAIGN
TO REPLACE THE OLDEST SATELLITES IN THE FLEET.
THIS POWERFUL ROCKET CARRIES A MASSIVE SATELLITE.
AND THERE ARE HITCHHIKERS ONBOARD -- TINY CubeSats.
THEY STAND BARELY FOUR INCHES TALL
AND WEIGH LESS THAN THREE POUNDS.
Carlson: THINK ABOUT THE COMPUTERS WE HAVE TODAY,
WHAT YOU CAN CARRY AROUND IN YOUR HAND.
OUR GOAL IS TO TAKE THAT KIND OF TECHNOLOGY
AND PUT IT INTO SPACE.
[ PEOPLE CHEERING ]
Narrator: AFTER SHARING A RIDE INTO SPACE, THE CubeSats ARE SHOT INTO ORBIT
BY A CUSTOM LAUNCHER ATTACHED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROCKET.
IT'S GOT A SPRING INSIDE. AND YOU LOAD THE CubeSats IN,
AND THEN AT THE RIGHT TIME, THE DOOR POPS OPEN.
THE SPRING DOES ITS THING, AND THE CubeSats GO INTO ORBIT.
Narrator: ON THIS MISSION,
THE NRO IS FLIGHT-TESTING A CubeSat CALLED STARE.
IT WILL HELP TRACK THE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS
OF PIECES OF DEBRIS THAT ORBIT THE EARTH,
ANY ONE OF WHICH POSES A SERIOUS THREAT
TO THE NRO's LARGE AND EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE FLEET OF SATELLITES.
Bowden: THESE OBJECTS, WHICH CAN BE THE SIZE OF A BULLET,
ARE TRAVELING AT AROUND 3 MILES PER SECOND AROUND THE PLANET,
AND THEY'RE ALL TRAVELING IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
THEY'RE VERY UNPREDICTABLE.
AND, OF COURSE, THEY COLLIDE WITH OTHER OBJECTS,
AND THEY CREATE UNPREDICTABLE NEW OBJECTS.
Narrator: ENGINEERS HOPE THAT STARE WILL BECOME
PART OF AN EARLY WARNING SYSTEM
TO PROTECT SATELLITES FROM SPACE JUNK.
ANOTHER CubeSat ON THIS MISSION IS NAMED AENEAS,
AND THE NRO IS TESTING ITS ABILITY
TO PICK UP FAINT SIGNALS.
ITS MISSION IS TO FIND SHIPPING CONTAINERS LOST AT SEA
BY TRACKING THE VERY WEAK ONBOARD GPS TRANSMITTERS.
Bowden: IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE TAG ON THOSE CONTAINERS
AS HAVING ABOUT THE STRENGTH OF A CELLPHONE,
OUR MISSION IS GONNA PICK UP THAT SAME SIGNAL STRENGTH
AND MAKE THAT SAME LINK FROM AROUND 500 MILES AWAY.
Narrator: CubeSats ARE FAR LESS EXPENSIVE TO BUILD AND LAUNCH
THAN A TRADITIONAL SPY SATELLITE.
THEY CAN CATCH A RIDE INTO SPACE FOR EMERGENCY MISSIONS,
AND SOMEDAY, A TEAM OF CubeSats MIGHT WORK TOGETHER
TO DO THE JOB FORMERLY DONE BY ONE GIANT SATELLITE.
I'LL SEE IF I CAN BRING UP SOME IMAGERY OF THAT.
Narrator: NRO IS ONE OF THE NATION'S BIG FIVE INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES.
BUT ITS SATELLITES ALSO DO WORK BEYOND ESPIONAGE.
Carlson: THE WORLD IS A LOT MORE COMPLEX PLACE THAN IT WAS 50 YEARS AGO,
SO WE EITHER LEARN TO OPERATE IN THIS ENVIRONMENT,
OR WE ARE OUT OF BUSINESS.
THE SPACE TECHNOLOGY THAT LOCATES TERRORISTS
ALSO HELPS THE COAST GUARD CATCH FOREIGN DRUG TRAFFICKERS
HEADED FOR THE U.S.
Carlson: HOMELAND SECURITY OR DRUG ENFORCEMENT OR FBI
OR OTHER LAW-ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES
OR EVEN LOCAL COMMUNITIES.
Narrator: WHEN SUPERSTORM SANDY
PUMMELED THE EAST COAST OF THE U.S. IN 2013,
NRO SATELLITES PROVIDED IMAGERY TO FIRST RESPONDERS
AND HELPED WITH DAMAGE ASSESSMENT.
Sherman: WE CAN BRING DATA TO THE SEARCH-AND-RESCUE TEAM
WHO ARE THERE DELIVERING SUPPLIES,
LETTING THEM KNOW WHERE THE HELICOPTER LANDING ZONES ARE AT,
LETTING THEM KNOW WHAT ROADS ARE STILL OPEN.
Narrator: BUT IF FEMA WANTS NRO SATELLITE IMAGES,
EVEN DURING A NATURAL DISASTER LIKE SANDY,
A FORMAL REQUEST MUST BE APPROVED.
THAT'S BECAUSE THE IDEA OF SPIES LOOKING DOWN ON AMERICANS
ON AMERICAN SOIL RAISES PRIVACY CONCERNS --
THE POSSIBILITY OF A BIG BROTHER IN THE SKY.
THE NRO WILL NOT DISCUSS
OPERATIONAL TACTICS OR PROCEDURES,
BUT INTELLIGENCE SOURCES SAY THAT IN A NATURAL DISASTER
OR A TERRORIST SITUATION,
THE U.S. GOVERNMENT WILL "BRING EVERY AVAILABLE ASSET TO BEAR
TO MONITOR, ANALYZE, AND PREDICT CURRENT AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS."
Man: AND THAT I WILL WELL AND FAITHFULLY...
Narrator: IN JULY OF 2012, THE FIRST FEMALE DIRECTOR
OF THE NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE WAS SWORN IN.
SO HELP ME GOD. SO HELP ME GOD.
[ APPLAUSE ]
BETTY SAPP LEADS AN AGENCY
THAT HAS ALWAYS OPERATED IN THE HIGHEST SECRECY.
AND YET, THE PUBLIC UNKNOWINGLY
TAKES THE NRO's 50 YEARS OF TECHNOLOGY FOR GRANTED.
Hall: THERE ARE A LOT OF INVENTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE NRO
THAT HAVE FOUND THEIR WAY INTO EVERYDAY LIFE.
Narrator: NRO TECHNOLOGY IS IN OUR WEATHER FORECASTS
AND SHAPES THE WAY WE SEE THE EARTH.
OUR EYES IN THE SKY PAVED THE WAY FOR YOUR DIGITAL CAMERA,
CELLPHONE, THE HIGH-DEF TELEVISION YOU'RE WATCHING,
AND EVEN THE SPEED OF YOUR INTERNET CONNECTION.
WIDE-BAND COMMUNICATIONS, HIGH-SPEED CIRCUITS --
ALL OF THOSE THINGS
WERE DEVELOPMENTS THAT WERE BROUGHT ALONG
BY THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WE LAUNCHED INTO SPACE.
Narrator: COMPUTER SOFTWARE USED BY PHOTO ANALYSTS
TO DETECT OBJECTS ON THE EARTH'S SURFACE
IS NOW HELPING RADIOLOGISTS FIND CANCER IN THE HUMAN BODY.
McDonald: THE EARTH HAS ROWS AND NETWORKS AND PIPELINES.
AND THE HUMAN BODY HAS BLOOD VESSELS AND NERVES
AND NETWORKS THAT MOVE THROUGH THE SYSTEM.
AND JUST AS STRANGE THINGS POP UP ON ROAD NETWORKS,
STRANGE THINGS POP UP ON BLOOD NETWORKS.
Narrator: THE NEW FLEET OF NRO SATELLITES
WILL UNDOUBTEDLY PROPEL SURVEILLANCE
TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL.
AND WE'LL PROBABLY FEEL THE IMPACT
OF NEXT-GENERATION SPACE-AGE TECHNOLOGY
WELL BEFORE IT'S REVEALED TO THE PUBLIC.