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.
All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.
SAR study contracts from the National Reconnaissance Office are likely to be awarded in mid–late 2021.
The NRO currently spends about $300,000,000 per year on imagery provided by Maxar under a sole-source contract called EnhancedView.
The NRO launched an industry competition in 2019 to select new suppliers of electro-optical imagery and awarded study contracts to Maxar, Planet, and BlackSky.
The National Reconnaissance Office plans to sign new contracts with commercial providers of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite imagery to better understand private-sector capabilities.
In 2019, an interagency memorandum of agreement for a tactical space layer was signed by the Secretary of the Army, the Director of the National Reconnaissance Office, the Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and the director for defense intelligence.
Tom McIntyre previously served as deputy director of the Office of Space Launch at the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).
United Launch Alliance will launch the Delta IV Heavy NROL-82 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office.
NROL-82 will be the 31st mission for the National Reconnaissance Office launched by United Launch Alliance.
The National Reconnaissance Office supplies imagery intelligence data to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
The National Reconnaissance Office supplies measurement and signature intelligence data to the Defense Intelligence Agency.
The National Reconnaissance Office is developing Project Blackjack, a mesh network of many small satellites to provide blanket coverage.
Capella Space has contracts serving several U.S. intelligence and Department of Defense agencies, including the Defense Innovation Unit, the National Reconnaissance Office, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Navy.
The National Reconnaissance Office will fund its mission integration separately for NROL-69.
The Space and Missile Systems Center and the National Reconnaissance Office awarded four National Security Space missions to SpaceX and United Launch Alliance under the Phase 2 Launch Service Procurement contracts on 2021-03-09.
The National Reconnaissance Office will fund mission integration for NROL-69 separately from SpaceX’s basic launch services contract.
The National Reconnaissance Office procures imagery from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
Both the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office are committed to purchasing capabilities from commercial constellations.
The National Reconnaissance Office is expanding its pool of commercial imagery suppliers and awarded study contracts to companies supplying electro-optical, radar, radio-frequency, and hyperspectral imagery, with procurement contracts to be awarded 2021.
The National Reconnaissance Office is responsible for procuring imagery for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
Another Minotaur launch for the National Reconnaissance Office, NROL-111, is planned for summer 2021 from Wallops.