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Friday, June 24, 2016

Corona spy satellite timeline

By 1971, Corona's resolution improved to show buildings, roads and vehicles. This shot of a Soviet rocket motor production plant was taken in September 1971.(Photo: National Reconnaissance Office)

Mobile Users: To view a Corona spy satellite interactive timeline click here. 

The evolution of the top-secret Corona spy satellite program

Summer 1957: U.S. military officials, concerned that the Soviet Union had developed technology to track the high-altitude U-2 spy plane, begin to plan alternatives.

December 1957: Eight weeks after Soviets launched Sputnik, the decision is made to design and build America's first spy satellite, Corona.

March 1958:  Engineers meet with Air Force and CIA officials during a three-day conference on the Corona program.

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April 1958:  Final approval given to Corona. Done in utmost secrecy, there is no documentation of the decision.

1958-59:  Aerospace companies design and build a space vehicle as Itek develops a camera with 24-inch focal lens. Camera is designed to swivel and shoot a panorama. General Electric builds a "thrust cone" to deliver exposed film from orbit. A plane would capture the cone as it parachuted to Earth.

Feb. 28, 1959:  Launch of Discoverer 1, ostensibly carrying science experiments. Aborted due to misfire, landing point unknown.

April 14, 1959: Discoverer 2 places a satellite into polar orbit, considered the first successful launch. Capsule recovery failed.

1959-60:  Series of misfires and aborted launches as technicians refine and improve the rocket engine.

Aug. 10, 1960:  On its 17th orbit, Discoverer 13 ejects test payload, but missed the impact point by 313 miles. Water recovery is successful and for the first time in history, a manmade object is recovered from space. It occurred nine days before Soviets recovered a capsule containing two dogs, 40 mice and two rats.

Aug. 18, 1960:  Discoverer 14 was the first to launch with a camera. Images of more than 1.6 million square miles of the Soviet Union (an area larger than that captured by the previous 24 U-2 flights combined)  are snatched by aircraft, the first mid-air recovery.

August 1961:  Corona launches with improved camera, mapping and re-entry capsule.

Early 1962:  After 37 launches the Discoverer series comes to end. The Soviets knew by then that there had been too many launches to suggest a science program.

April 18, 1962:  On the 38th mission, U.S. announces the launch is part of a secret Air Force program.

1964:  Corona has revealed the extent of Soviet airfields, bases, intercontinental ballistic missiles and other assets, proof that the country as been embellishing its military capabilities.

1965:  Corona boasts 3-4 successful film recoveries per month.

1966:  Army officials begin securing plots outside Casa Grande to lay down a grid of calibration targets.

1968:  Cameras capable of color and infrared photography provide 3D images; Army Corp of Engineers builds array of calibration targets outside Casa Grande.

May 25, 1972:  The 145th and final Corona launch. When the program ends, 520 million square miles have been filmed.

February 1995:  President Bill Clinton declassifies Corona spy satellite program.

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Source: Corona spy satellite timeline

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