Meet the Astronauts of the Manned Orbiting Laboratory

In June 2019, NRO's Center for the Study of National Reconnaissance hosted a panel discussion with astronauts of the Manned Orbiting Laboratory, or MOL. MOL was a joint NRO program with the Air Force in the late 1960s to launch a manned reconnaissance satellite into space for missions lasting up to 30 days. Astronauts USAF (Ret.) Lt Gen James Abrahamson, USAF (Ret.) Col. Karol Bobko, USAF (Ret.) Col. Albert Crews, USN (Ret.) Capt Robert Crippen, and USAF (Ret.) Col. Lachlan Macleay described their first-hand experiences and insights as those training to be America's spies in space during the Cold War. This year, NRO is celebrating its 60th anniversary. We're proud to reflect on the importance of our early programs like MOL, and other early reconnaissance programs of the Air Force, CIA, and other agencies that contributed to our inception in 1961 and furthered our collection capabilities over decades. Thanks to our heritage, NRO today operates the world's most capable overhead reconnaissance systems to answer the nation's toughest intelligence problems and protect Americans and our allies worldwide.