Images: First U.S. spy satellite photos--ever!

This graphic gives an overview of the Corona reconnaissance system, with details on some of the systems. The tubular satellite (an Agena spacecraft sent aloft by a Thor booster rocket) included a pair of panorama cameras and something called a stellar-terrain camera. According to the NRO, the system took pictures while rotating, and the film--yes, film--had to be loaded into recovery vehicles for a return trip to Earth before anyone could see the orbital snapshots.