sat-6

This graphic gives an overview of the Corona reconnaissance system, with details on some of the systems. The tubular satellite (an Agena spacecraft sent aloft by a Thor booster rocket) included a pair of panorama cameras and something called a stellar-terrain camera. According to the NRO, the system took pictures while rotating, and the film–yes, film–had to be loaded into recovery vehicles for a return trip to Earth before anyone could see the orbital snapshots.

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