Quoted By:
OP, Are you familiar with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) ? It is a Federal Agency that handles all our Spy Satellite Operations. It has a budget of billions of dollars and its very existence was a classified secret from its inception in 1961 until the mid 90s. Incidentally, 1961 was also the start of the Apollo Program. It had the very audacious and public mission of a manned landing on the moon when we still had major issues putting satellites into earth orbit. Many Billions of dollars were supposedly put into the Apollo Project as well. The cooperation between NASA and the NRO was very close, with both agencies sharing similar tasks, equipment, and personnel. Much of the mapping of the moon's service was done by NRO satellites. It is very probable that in many respects NASA and the Apollo project was a public cover for the clandestine operations of the NRO.