Secret Spy Satellites: America's Eyes in Space (Countdown to Space)

By Timothy R. Gaffney

After an American spy plane was shot down by the Soviet Union, the United States began sending unmanned spy satellites into orbit, but the program was a secret, and for decades America's leaders pretended spy satellites did not exist. Timothy R. Gaffney details the exciting history of the CIA's secret program that took America through the Cold War and the race to reach the Moon. The book includes exciting photographs taken by spy satellites and discusses modern spy satellites that can now pick out objects the size of a license plate.

• Format: Library Binding
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0766014029
• ISBN13: 9780766014022
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Enslow Publishing
• Length: 48 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.3" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

Not anything groundbreaking, but GREAT FOR KIDS!

While Mr. Gaffney's book doesn't cover anything new in the area of reconnaissance satellites, its format and coverage are excellent for the audience - mainly geared towards elementary and middle school children. While the area of space policy and national defense don't cross the desks of most children, "Secret Spy Satellites" gives kids a peek into a very secret area of government - taking pictures from space. It might not whet the appetite for Ph.D's or parents, but its enough to get kids to say "Wow! I can't believe we can do that!"... and that sometimes is the only impetus needed for these future NRO employees to say "That stuff is cool - I want to do that when I grow up. For parents, teenagers and future rocket scientists, there are many other texts that have the juicy, meaty details of these satellite launches and operations.