Duplicate film negatives will be created for these photographs and used to provide film negatives, positives, and paper prints to the public at the cost of reproduction. Photographs will be available from the National Archives Record Administration (NARA) and from the U.S. Geological Survey's Earth Resources Observation System (EROS) Data Center. The images will become declassified and available for purchase by the public within 18 months after the declassification order was signed. This will allow the two agencies to create the working negatives and integrate the photo collection with their existing product ordering and distribution systems.
When the declassified images become available to the public, an Internet catalog and image browse capability for the entire collection will be accessible, at no charge, on the U.S. Geological Survey's Global Land Information System (GLIS). To try the GLIS online catalog and browse capability for Landsat MSS, Landsat TM, and NOAA AVHRR satellite image data, click GLIS.
Below are four samples of the declassified photographs. These images were selected for immediate declassification to illustrate the collection's usefulness in applications from reconnaissance to environmental monitoring. An information packet with a factsheet, sample prints of these images, and a color Landsat multispectral scanner (MSS) image over the Aral Sea (included for comparison purposes) is available for $25.00. To order, contact: Customer Services, EROS Data Center
This August 18, 1960, photograph is the first intelligence target imaged from the first CORONA Mission. It shows a military airfield near Mys Schmidta on the Chukchi Sea in far-northeastern Russia. This image was created by digitally scanning a 30X enlargement of the original film negative. Digital enhancement brings out the detail and contrast of the original film. You may download this GIF image (75 dots per inch) or the full scene 6 megabyte digital raster image file (300 dots per inch) by accessing the Declassified Satellite anonymous FTP account .
Aral Sea (337KB)
The Aral Sea, on the border between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, is
Asia's second largest body of landlocked water. It has been estimated that over the last three
decades, this lake has lost a volume of water equivalent to one and a half times that of Lake
Erie in the United States. This photograph shows the full extent of the Aral Sea
on August 29, 1962. The comparison of this image with modern satellite digital images
gives scientists the opportunity to assess changes in water levels during the past
33 years. A mosaic of 17 original images was created, then reduced by 30 percent to an 8"
x 10" photograph, then scanned to create this digital sample image.
The area covered is approximately 210 x 230 nautical miles (389 x 426 kilometers). You may download this GIF image (75 dots per inch), a GIF subset of this image (300 dots per inch), or the full scene 6 megabyte digital raster image file (300 dots per inch) by accessing the Declassified Satellite anonymous FTP account . A Landsat MSS comparison
GIF image, over the same area, is also available from the Declassified FTP
account.
Klyuchevskaya Volcano (390KB)
Klyuchevskaya Volcano is in far eastern Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, one of the most active seismic and volcanic areas in the world.
The photograph shows a cluster of volcanos in the Klyuchevskaya Group. Klyuchevskaya,
one of the world's tallest volcanos, erupted as recently as November 1994. Comparing this
photograph with more recent images provides insight into the evolution of volcanic activity
on the Kamchatka Peninsula. A mosaic of two original images was magnified by 2X
to create an 8" x 10" photograph, which was subsequently scanned
to create this digital GIF image.
You may download this GIF image (75 dots per inch) or the full scene 6 megabyte digital raster image file (300 dots per inch) by accessing the Declassified Satellite anonymous FTP account .
Soviet Long-Range Aviation Airfield (417KB)
This photograph showing a major Soviet strategic bomber base near Dolon, Kazakhstan, was taken on August 20, 1966. It demonstrates the ability of the early imagery systems to distinguish between heavy bombers and transport aircraft seen on the airfield's main parking apron. This photograph is a 30X enlargement of the original image, which has been scanned to create the GIF image seen here. You may download this GIF image (75 dots per inch), a GIF subset of this image (300 dots per inch), or the full scene 6 megabyte digital raster image file (300 dots per inch) by accessing the Declassified Satellite anonymous FTP account .
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