Shades of Gray

The United States has developed the most expensive and capable reconnaissance satellites the world has ever seen. American satellites can photograph terrorist bases, listen in on radio conversations, sniff out clandestine nuclear tests and spot rocket launches anywhere in the world. The goal of these assets, simply put, is to prevent surprises. In Shades of Gray, Dr. L. Parker Temple III describes the development of these capabilities in unprecedented historical detail and context. He taps recently declassified documents and melds them with his own behind-the-scenes experiences as an Air Force space expert at the Pentagon in the 1980s. In this work, Temple tracks the evolution of space reconnaissance systems from their seeds in the painful lessons of Pearl Harbor through the challenges of today. More than any other book, Shades of Gray places development of these capabilities into their proper context with the overall U.S. space program.