# NRO The National Reconnaissance Office designs, builds, launches, and operates the United States' reconnaissance satellites — the space-based collection systems that provide imagery to the [[NGA]], signals intelligence to the [[NSA]], and measurement and signature intelligence to other agencies. The NRO is the most secretive of the major US intelligence agencies: its existence was classified from its founding in 1961 until 1992, and its budget — part of the National Intelligence Program — funds some of the most expensive and capable collection platforms in the intelligence community. The NRO operates a constellation of classified satellites in various orbits, providing persistent surveillance coverage of areas of strategic interest. Its systems have historically included optical imaging satellites (successors to the CORONA program), radar imaging satellites, and signals intelligence collection platforms. The agency works closely with [[SpaceX]], [[United Launch Alliance]], and other commercial launch providers to maintain and upgrade its constellation. ## Commercial entanglements Two threads make the NRO central to this vault's [[Commercial Space Sector]] coverage. First, it is program manager for the [[MILNET]] constellation built on the [[SpaceX Starshield]] platform — the deepest structural dependency between the intelligence community and [[Elon Musk]]'s companies. Second, its Electro-Optical Commercial Layer (EOCL) program — up to $3.24B over ten years, majority-held by [[Vantor]] with shares to [[Planet Labs]] and BlackSky — is the IC's main vehicle for outsourcing imagery collection to private constellations. Trump's FY2026 budget proposed cutting those commercial imagery buys by up to a third; House Intelligence moved to restore the funds, and the fight remains unresolved. ## See Also - [[NGA]] — analyzes the imagery NRO satellites collect - [[NSA]] — receives signals intelligence from NRO platforms - [[CIA]] — historical partner in satellite reconnaissance - [[MILNET]] · [[SpaceX Starshield]] · [[U.S. Space Force]] - [[Vantor]] · [[Planet Labs]] — EOCL commercial imagery suppliers - [[Global Intelligence Hub]] — full agency index