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U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)

US

The U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Defense and a member of the United States Intelligence Community that designs, builds, launches, and operates reconnaissance satellites for the U.S. federal government. It provides satellite intelligence, including signals intelligence (SIGINT), imagery intelligence (IMINT), and measurement and signature intelligence (MASINT), to various government agencies like the NSA, NGA, and DIA. The NRO partners with organizations such as the U.S. Space Force, Northrop Grumman, and SpaceX, and its activities include developing advanced satellite technology and launching assets into orbit. Keywords associated with the NRO include: reconnaissance satellites, intelligence, national security, and space-based surveillance.

gov defenseFounded 1961
United States
www.nro.gov/About-NRO/
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All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.

The National Reconnaissance Office awarded a contract on 2023-08-08 with Firefly Aerospace and Xtenti for a responsive space mission.

RelationshipsPlanValue 4.5Aug 8, 2023NRO to conduct responsive space mission with Firefly and Xtenti

As Deputy Program Director in the National Reconnaissance Office, Shawn Hendricks led spacecraft production for a $13,000,000,000 national imagery satellite.

GovernanceFinancialCapabilityValue 4.5Aug 1, 2023Orbit Fab’s new Chief Operating Officer will ramp up production and testing for RAFTI™ refueling port

Kleos Space signed agreements last year with the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office to provide radio-frequency data.

RelationshipsValue 4.3Jul 26, 2023Geospatial intelligence startup Kleos Space files for bankruptcy

A United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket carrying the NROL-68 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office lifted off on 2023-06-22 from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

PlanGeneralValue 4.0Jun 23, 2023United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches NROL-68 Mission for the National Reconnaissance Office

The NROL-68 payload was launched into Geosynchronous Earth Orbit aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy for the National Reconnaissance Office.

PlanCapabilityRelationshipsValue 4.0Jun 22, 2023Space Systems Command’s statement as it launches National Reconnaissance Office mission aboard United Launch Alliance’s Delta IV Heavy rocket

A United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket carrying the NROL-68 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office lifted off from Space Launch Complex-37B at 5:18 a.m. Eastern on 2023-06-22.

PlanGeneralValue 4.0Jun 22, 2023Space Systems Command’s statement as it launches National Reconnaissance Office mission aboard United Launch Alliance’s Delta IV Heavy rocket

The National Reconnaissance Office uses a variety of satellites, from small satellites to larger traditional satellites, to pursue a hybrid architecture designed to provide global coverage and meet a range of intelligence requirements.

CapabilityValue 2.8Jun 22, 2023UPDATE 3: A diamond in the night as ULA’s Delta IV Heavy launches NRO’s NROL-68 mission

United Launch Alliance launched a classified National Reconnaissance Office satellite on a Delta 4 Heavy rocket on 2023-06-22 at 5:18 a.m. Eastern.

PlanValue 4.5Jun 22, 2023ULA’s Delta 4 Heavy launches classified spy satellite

A United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket carrying the NROL-68 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office launched on 2023-06-22 at 5:18 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

PlanValue 4.7Jun 22, 2023UPDATE 3: A diamond in the night as ULA’s Delta IV Heavy launches NRO’s NROL-68 mission

ULA is under contract to launch one more National Reconnaissance Office satellite on the Delta 4 Heavy in 2024 from Cape Canaveral.

RelationshipsPlanValue 4.2Jun 22, 2023ULA’s Delta 4 Heavy launches classified spy satellite

Umbra is working with the National Reconnaissance Office, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and the Department of Defense on providing SAR capabilities to the warfighter and taxpayers.

RelationshipsCapabilityValue 4.0Jun 16, 2023Despite growing interest in commercial satellite data, industry faces uncertainty

About 20 companies in the SAR, RF, and hyperspectral imaging sectors have signed agreements with the National Reconnaissance Office to conduct experiments.

RelationshipsValue 3.0Jun 16, 2023Despite growing interest in commercial satellite data, industry faces uncertainty

The National Reconnaissance Office awarded large electro-optical imagery contracts to Maxar Technologies, BlackSky, and Planet.

RelationshipsValue 4.6Jun 16, 2023Despite growing interest in commercial satellite data, industry faces uncertainty

In March the National Reconnaissance Office selected Orbital Sidekick for a focus area study of commercial space-based hyperspectral imaging capabilities under the agency’s Strategic Commercial Enhancements Broad Agency Announcement.

RelationshipsCapabilityValue 4.0Jun 14, 2023Orbital Sidekick Successfully Launches Third GHOSt Satellite

The National Reconnaissance Office must submit a report on its planned acquisition strategy and schedule for commercial space-based remote sensing phenomenologies including synthetic-aperture radar, radio frequency, and hyperspectral.

LegalPlanValue 3.0Jun 12, 2023Space domain awareness provisions in draft NDAA proposal

COMSO plans to work with the National Reconnaissance Office on commercial imagery for the SRT marketplace while also using other commercial vendors not contracted to the NRO.

RelationshipsPlanValue 4.0Jun 6, 2023Space Force opens new office to foster ties with private sector

Lt. Gen. Michael Guetlein directed the Commercial Space Office to seek a location in Chantilly because of its proximity to the National Reconnaissance Office and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

GovernanceValue 3.0Jun 6, 2023Space Force opens new office to foster ties with private sector

Under the NRO agreements, the National Reconnaissance Office will assess signatory companies’ technical and business plans and later procure hyperspectral data for demonstrations.

PlanGeneralRelationshipsValue 3.4Jun 2, 2023Google leads $36 million funding round for Pixxel

National Reconnaissance Office Director Chris Scolese spoke at the GEOINT Symposium in St. Louis on 2023-05-23.

GeneralValue 1.0May 23, 2023NRO seeks closer ties with industry

Planet won a $146,000,000 contract from the National Reconnaissance Office last year to supply electro-optical imagery.

RelationshipsFinancialValue 5.0May 21, 2023Planet seeks partners that can extract more value from data
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