Having worked on a lot of the successors to Corona, I was surprised to see a full exhibit (including hardware) on display at the Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy Center near D.C.
This is a bit off topic, but I have been an avid photographer on my spare time, and I have some nice lenses and tried others and looked through even more.
They get heavy and expensive quick and consumer zoom lenses dont go that far.
How in the world were they able to build optics for satellites sattlies that could see such details on the ground?
It seems like magic to me.
It is also frustrating because I would love to have a lens based on that technology.
Corona itself is completely unclassified now.
https://airandspace.si.edu/udvar-hazy-center
https://airandspace.si.edu/multimedia-gallery/si-97-15881-10...
https://airandspace.si.edu/multimedia-gallery/web10844-2008h...