@SvenSvensonov
What can you tell me about the NROL ? I'm quite curious (please don't say "curiosity killed the cat")
No, we aren't the Soviet Union, we wont kill you, you'll just be placed on a monitoring list for increased scrutiny
. Curiosity wont will a cat, he'll just be watched more closely.
NROL - National Reconnaissance Office Launch - Pretty sure that wasn't all you wanted so I'll offer you this:
The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) is responsible for launching and maintaining the nation’s military spy satellites. A highly secretive agency located in the Department of Defense, the NRO takes orders from both the Secretary of Defense and the Director of National Intelligence and is funded through the National Reconnaissance Program, part of the National Foreign Intelligence Program. The agency shares its top secret data not only with military planners, but also members of the Intelligence Community.
However, the NRO provides little information about its operations to the public because specific NRO satellite capabilities, numbers, and names are classified. It does announce when a new satellite goes into orbit, such as its June 29, 2012 release, but no details are provided. The NRO describes itself as “a hybrid organization” that is jointly staffed by members of the armed services, the CIA, and Pentagon civilian personnel.
The NRO consists of more than a dozen offices including: Management Services and Operations; Business Plans and Operations; Chief Information Officer; Chief Operating Officer; Deputy Director for Mission Support; Program Control; Systems Engineering; System Operations; Ground Enterprise Directorate; Imagery Intelligence Systems Directorate; Signals Intelligence Systems Directorate; Communications Acquisition and Operations Directorate; Advanced Systems and Technology; Office of Space Launch; Office of Corporate Communications; Office of Inspector General; Office of Contracts; Information Access and Release Team.
The NRO maintains network of ground stations, which include: the Aerospace Data Facility–East at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia; the Aerospace Data Facility–Southwest at the White Sands Missile Test Range, New Mexico; and the Aerospace Data Facility–Colorado at Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado. Each of these facilities supports the collection, analysis, reporting, and dissemination of global intelligence information for numerous agencies. The NRO’s overseas locations include the Joint Defense Facility Pine Gap in Alice Springs, Australia, and RAF Menwith Hill, in Harrogate, United Kingdom.
The NRO’s global communications network includes encrypted satellite data relay and messaging Systems, such as Special Operations Communications (SOCOMM).
NRO satellites collect a number of forms of intelligence, which include:
- FISINT — Foreign Instrumentation Signals Intelligence, which is data collected during the test or operation of aircraft, missiles, or other systems.
- COMINT — Communications Intelligence, which is data taken from voice, text, or pictorial transmissions.
- ELINT — Electronic Intelligence, which is data from non-literal transmissions, such as radar.
- MASINT — Measurement and Signature Intelligence, which is based on the analysis of characteristics associated with specific targets or classes of targets. It is used in conjunction with Imagery Intelligence to characterize foreign weapons systems, and provides intelligence used for indications and warning.
In addition to taking care of its fleet of spy satellites, the NRO conducts war game scenarios to prepare the agency in the event of an attack or accident that might disrupt its operations. On Sept. 11, 2001, the very day a hijacked airliner crashed into the Pentagon, NRO officials were planning to simulate a plane crash into NRO’s headquarters in Chantilly, Virginia. The scenario, NRO officials later insisted, had nothing to do with terrorism, but involved a private plane accidentally crashing into the agency’s building.
This is a spy agency, along side the FBI, CIA, DIA, NGA and NSA, can't (well I can) say too much.
I highlighted ELINT, this was a major focus of mine.
@SvenSvensonov
What can you tell me about the NROL ? I'm quite curious (please don't say "curiosity killed the cat")
If there's anything specific you want, let me know - the above is mostly generalities. If I can offer you some information I will, if not I'll let you know too.
