The 60th Anniversaries of America’s and the World’s First Two Successful Reconnaissance Satellite Missions – GRAB and CORONA

Article

“The 60th Anniversaries of America’s and the World’s First Two Successful Reconnaissance Satellite Missions – GRAB and CORONA” by James David
Published in Quest Volume: 27 #4 (2020)

Abstract

The year 2020 marks the 60th anniversary of two major advances in America’s imagery intelligence gathering capabilities based on satellites that were created in the early months of the Space Age. In June 1960, GRAB 1 became the first satellite to collect signals intelligence from space, and in August, Discoverer XIV became the first satellite to obtain image intelligence from space. These two satellites inaugurated new forms of intelligence gathering that proved vital to the national security of the United States. The background to these two major achievements is outlined in this article.

Citation

David, James. “The 60th Anniversaries of America’s and the World’s First Two Successful Reconnaissance Satellite Missions – GRAB and CORONA.” Quest: The History of Spaceflight Quarterly 27, no. 4 (2020): 13-26.