Aug. 20, 2021

Schreiner takes command of ADF Colorado

AURORA, CO. — AURORA, Co – Aerospace Data Facility Colorado (ADF-C) welcomed new leadership during the Assumption of Command Ceremony held at ADF-C on 12 August 2021.Director of National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), Mission Operations Directorate (MOD), Mr. T.J. Lincoln presided over the ceremony virtually from NRO headquarters, which transferred ADF-C authority

Aug. 10, 2021

NRO welcomes new deputy director, Maj. Gen. Donna Shipton

CHANTILLY, Va. — Maj. Gen. Donna D. Shipton assumed command of the NRO Space Force Element and officially became the deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) in a change of command ceremony Aug. 9. As the deputy director, she will manage the strategic and tactical operations of the NRO, and serve as the senior advisor to the director on all

July 21, 2021

Washington Space Business Roundtable hosts Dr. Scolese

CHANTILLY, Va. — Director Scolese was the keynote speaker at the virtual Washington Space Business Roundtable (WSBR) monthly luncheon program July 20. He discussed the need for the NRO to improve resiliency by continuing to leverage commercial industries and continuing the evolution of the acquisition process. “Commercial systems are a part of our current

July 13, 2021

Deputy Commander of NORAD visits NRO headquarters

CHANTILLY, VA. — The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Deputy Commander Lieutenant General Alain Pelletier received a series of briefs at National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) Westfield on July 12. Lt. Gen. Pelletier was accompanied by NORAD Director of Intelligence Brigadier General Parker H. Wright.Lt. Gen. Pelletier has served as the NORAD Deputy

June 28, 2021

Registration for the Director’s Innovation Initiative is open until August 11, 2021

CHANTILLY, Va. — The Director’s Innovation Initiative (DII) is an annual NRO program that solicits proposals from the U.S. government, industry and academic sources looking for classified or unclassified, low-maturity technology that could eventually advance for use in NRO’s overhead systems. Applicants can receive up to $500,000 in funding for accepted

June 25, 2021

NRO welcomes 2021 summer interns

CHANTILLY, Va. — On June 7, interns from universities across the U.S. arrived at NRO headquarters to participate in NRO's second summer internship program. Last summer was the inaugural launch of the program, and it has expanded to more than five times the number of interns participating this year.For 10 weeks from June 7-Aug. 13, undergraduate and graduate

June 15, 2021

NRO returns to Virginia’s Space Coast with NROL-111

CHANTILLY, Va. — Today the National Reconnaissance Office, in collaboration with U.S. Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center, Northrop Grumman, and Virginia Space/Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, successfully launched the NROL-111 mission aboard a Northrop Grumman Minotaur I. The Minotaur I launched at 9:35 a.m. EDT from NASA’s Wallops

May 26, 2021

DNI Haines and NRO Director discuss Vandenberg NROL-82 Launch

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Ca. — On Monday, April 26, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and NRO Director Dr. Chris Scolese joined Chief of Space Operations for the Space Force, Gen. Jay Raymond to watch the successful launch of NROL-82 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The Delta V Heavy, built by United Launch Alliance, carried a national security

May 24, 2021

NRO Director addresses HASC Subcommittee on Strategic Forces

CHANTILLY, Va. — On May 24, Dr. Scolese addressed the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Subcommittee on Strategic Forces at its FY22 Priorities for National Security Space Program Hearing. Dr. Scolese highlighted the accomplishments the NRO had met in the past year despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the innovation and vision for the future as the NRO reflects on

May 21, 2021

NRO remembers former Deputy Director Dr. F. Robert Naka

CHANTILLY, Va. — Dr. Fumio Robert “Bob” Naka served as Deputy Director of the NRO from July 1969 – August 1972, the first to be hired from outside of the CIA.Dr. Naka was born in San Francisco, California to Japanese immigrant parents. He graduated high school at the age of 16 and began studying engineering at the University of California at Los Angeles. He was