The CIA (everyone knows about them, they are the Central Intelligence Agency) and the NRO (the National Reconnaissance Office, who hardly anyone knows about, which is weird because they aren't that secret) are giving NASA (you can Google that acronym if you don't know it) two spy satellites to use. You can read the story at http://news.yahoo.com/u-spy-satellite-agency-gives-nasa-2-space-194916205.html. As a former Marine, I know a lot about doing more with less (as NASA is now), and getting hand-me-downs. And I am glad to see our government doing something smart for a change. I am a huge fan of NASA, I have been since I saw the first moon landing televised on July 16, 1969. I was two, and watched it with my grandmother at her house in Maryland. This is one of my earliest memories.
Anyway, NASA is going to use these spy satellites like the do they do the Hubble telescope, which has seen its' last servicing (back in 2009) and will be destroyed by crashing it into the Pacific Ocean once it is no longer operable. Unfortunately, these two satellites wont be re-tasked until 2020, so they wont be able to take pictures of Venus as it passes between our world and the Sun today (and you can read about that at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/9311341/Venus-due-to-pass-between-Earth-and-Sun-in-rare-astronomical-event.html). This is the second and last day of the event. Check it out while you can, it's a once in a lifetime experience.
Unless you are planning to still be alive in December of 2117, that is.
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