Project Mercury (1958–1963)
Project Mercury, America's first human space program made six flights. The objectives of the program were to orbit a manned spacecraft around Earth, investigate humans' ability to function in space, and recover astronauts and spacecraft safely.[151]
TATTLETALE/GRAB (September 1960)
The United States was the first nation to deliver a reconnaissance satellite to space. This electronic intelligence (ELINT) satellite was developed by the Naval Research Laboratory in early 1958 under the code name "TATTLETALE" with the mission of intercepting Soviet radar signals.[152] The program later became known as GRAB (Galactic Radiation and Background), after public disclosure of the ELINT satellite project.[153][154]
Project Gemini (1961–1966)
The Gemini program was a U.S. human spaceflight program that took place between the Mercury and Apollo programs. Similar to Project Mercury, Project Gemini spacecraft was launched using ballistic missiles that were designed to carry nuclear payloads.[155] Project Gemini conducted 12 missions.[156]
Project Apollo (1961–1972)
Project Apollo was a NASA human spaceflight program conducted after Project Mercury and Project Gemini.[157] Project Apollo totaled 14 missions, 11 spaceflights, and 12 astronauts walking on the moon.[158]
Poppy (1962–1977)
The successor to GRAB, Poppy was an ELINT satellite system developed by the National Research Laboratory that operated from 1962 to 1977 to collect Soviet radar emissions.[159] A total of seven Poppy missions were launched between December 1962 and December 1971.[160] The program was declassified in 2004.[161]
Gambit (1963–1971)
The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) launched its first high-resolution photoreconnaissance satellite system in 1963, which became known by its codename, Gambit.[162] Two Gambit systems were developed: Gambit 1, initially launched in 1963, and Gambit 3, which was first launched in 1966.[163] The Gambit 1 satellite’s exposed film was returned to Earth in reentry vehicles, or "buckets," that separated from the satellite, fell through the atmosphere and descended by parachute until obtained by USAF aircraft at about 15,000 feet altitude.[164] Gambit was declassified in 2011.
Hexagon (1971–1986)
Similar to Gambit, Hexagon was an NRO photoreconnaissance satellite system. It was launched in 1971 to conduct wide-area searches of denied territory.[165] From 1971–1986, 19 missions collected imagery over 877 million square miles of the Earth’s surface.[166] The
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