Corona

The Corona project was a United States space program that developed the first spy satellites. Initiated in response to the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik, it was a joint effort between Lockheed Corporation, the U.S. Air Force, and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The program, code-named Discoverer, aimed to photograph Soviet military operations and national security-related phenomena.

Corona satellites captured images on film, which was then ejected in a capsule to be retrieved mid-air. Despite initial failures, the first successful recovery occurred in August 1960, providing invaluable intelligence on Soviet airfields and missile sites. This program laid the groundwork for future reconnaissance satellites and electronic imaging technologies.12