CORONA: America's First Satellite Program

B&W Illustrations; This is an oversized paperback book. The book is in Very Good- condition (mostly cosmetic issues with the book covers) and was issued without a dust jacket. The book covers have noticeable rubbing, spots of color loss and some lightish creasing and wear. There is a bump to the bottom spine end of the book cover, which has added semi-circular creasing to the bottom front cover and the bottom edges of the first 20-25 pages or so. The text pages are generally clean and bright. "The CORONA program was a series of American strategic reconnaissance satellites produced and operated by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Directorate of Science & Technology with substantial assistance from the U. S. Air Force. The CORONA satellites were used for photographic surveillance of the Soviet Union (USSR) , China, and other areas beginning in June 1959 and ending in May 1972. " (from Wikipedia) "CORONA started under the name "Discoverer" as part of the WS-117L satellite reconnaissance and protection program of the U. S. Air Force in 1956. The WS-117L was based on recommendations and designs from the RAND Corporation. The primary goal of the program was to develop a film-return photographic satellite to replace the U-2 spyplane in surveilling the Sino-Soviet Bloc, determining the disposition and speed of production of Soviet missiles and long-range bombers assets. The CORONA program was also used to produce maps and charts for the Department of Defense and other U. S. Government mapping programs. " (from Wikipedia).…