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Yesterday, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper announced that Betty Sapp will be taking over as the Director of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). Sapp will be the second woman to lead a major intelligence agency with Letitia Long, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Director, being the first. Our readers may recall that got geoint? was one of the first media outlets to report the appointment of Director Long in February 2010.

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At 1 p.m. today in the Rayburn House Office Building, the Strategic Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) will hold a hearing on the FY2013 budget request for national security space activities. The scheduled witnesses are General William L. Shelton, USAF Commander, Air Force Space Command; Mr. Gil I. Klinger, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Space and Intelligence; Ambassador Gregory L. Schulte, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Space Policy; and Ms. Betty J. Sapp, Principal Deputy Director, National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). Bob Butterworth, former senior advisor to leader of Space Command, recently penned an Op-Ed for AOL Defense that makes a strong case for not trimming the budget that was published in advance of this hearing.

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Bruce A. Carlson, Director of the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), highlighted key challenges and future strategies for the future of the NRO, which included driving down costs while effectively servicing the warfighter. The NRO is also planning on launching four additional satellites in 2012 from the agency’s small-satellite program. Be sure to check out Carlson’s full keynote address here.

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Welcome to the Monday Morning News Kick Off post from got geoint? As always, we hope everyone had a restful weekend spent with family and friends. But just as the summer sun eventually fades, so too does the weekend. But fret not fearless GEOINTers, you always have the MMNKO post to help ease your transition back into the working world on Monday Morning. So, as we always say, fire up that second cup of coffee and read on. Happy Monday!

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Welcome to the Monday Morning News Kick Off post from got geoint? As you can imagine — and in continuation of our recent Friday’s Food for Thought post — there are plenty of stories happening with regard to mapping and tsunami relief. Another big GEOINT story also happened late last week: the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) launched a new satellite into orbit. And, as usual, we have included other more eclectic news in this week’s MMNKO post. So, as we always say, fire up that second cup of coffee and read on.

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Welcome to the Monday Morning News Kick Off. We hope everyone had a restful weekend and enjoyed watching the Packers takes the Super Bowl last night, as a well as the Black Eyed Peas showcasing why they are better lip synchers than actual singers. But, alas here we are. It’s Monday and time to shake off the remnants of the football fun and get back into work life. As always, we have compiled all the actionable news you need to kick start your work week. So, as we always say, fire up that second cup of coffee and read on.

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The beauty of today’s Web 2.0 technology is that major events can keep living on via video. Yes, we are talking about our ongoing posting of GEOINT 2010 keynote speeches and breakouts on got geoint? Today, we are featuring the keynote speech from Gen. Bruce Carlson, USAF (Ret.), Director, National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). In this speech he discusses a number of items including the DNRO priorities, which include executing launches on time/budget, improving business of launch, improving research and technology investment, and investing in the NRO workforce. Check out the full video of his speech in this post.

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Next up, Bruce Carlson, Director, National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) took the stage at GEOINT 2010. Mr. Carlson started his keynote with a compelling video about the September 20 launch of the Atlas V spy satellite. From there, he discussed key items regarding the NRO: new aggressive launch campaign, signed memorandum of agreement and the 50th anniversary.

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We all know that the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) has shied away from opening their doors to the media. In fact, it is a place where very few cameras ever go. Until now that is. Fox 5 in Washington DC was able to gain access into the NRO and did, what we think, is a fine job in showcasing the NRO. Hey, they even got an interview with Bruce Carlson, NRO Director. With all the changes happening at the NRO — the Sept 20 launch of a security satellite and the new charter — it is no wonder the NRO has invested some of its resources into public relations. And be sure to check out Bruce Carlson speak at GEOINT 2010 and if you missed GEOINT 2009, you can see last year’s speech here. We have the full video segment from Fox 5 embedded in this post. We hope you check it out.

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In most major cities parking can be a major issue. Do you pay for the expensive parking garage? Or circle the block until you find a meter spot? While this challenge can only cause a minor headache or a small dent in the wallet, it does not typically delay the launch of a major U.S. spy satellite. That is correct. A new spy satellite launched into space late Monday on the latest classified mission for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office was delayed because a private car was parked in the wrong spot. According to Space.com, a the launch of the NRO classified satellite NROL-41 was delayed about a half hour due to the pesky car, which was parked at Vandenberg’s Space Launch Complex 8 – an area that was supposed to be clear of vehicles. If only we had better public transportation, or tax incentives to get people to car pool, this may have not happened. But alas, we live in a car-driven society (like the pun?) and something like this was bound to happen.

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