Astrospies: US Astronauts in Cold War Intelligence

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the secret program involving US astronauts trained for intelligence gathering during the Cold War, as highlighted in a Nova documentary titled "Astrospies." Participants explore the implications of classified information, the declassification process, and the accessibility of related media content.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express intrigue about the secretive nature of the astronaut program and its ongoing classification status.
  • There is speculation about whether the Nova documentary team filed a FOIA request for declassification, with one participant noting the large number of Cold War documents still awaiting declassification.
  • Participants discuss the standard nature of the declassification process and the seriousness of illegally releasing classified information.
  • One participant humorously suggests that the Nova team might have connections with government PR to obtain information without extensive digging.
  • There are technical issues mentioned regarding accessing the documentary online, with some participants sharing solutions to these problems.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the interest in the topic and the classification of the program, but there are differing views on the declassification process and the accessibility of the documentary content. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the specifics of the FOIA requests and the implications of classified information.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference the complexities of the declassification process and the potential for undisclosed information, but do not resolve the uncertainties surrounding the effectiveness of FOIA requests or the reasons for ongoing classification.

Ivan Seeking
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An elite corps of secret US astronauts is trained to gather intelligence on the Soviets during the cold war.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/astrospies/

Watch online:
http://video.pbs.org/video/980042464/program/979359664
 
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Cool, I'll have to check this out later.

WOWwww, that was really amazing! Especially considering the youtube video I posted.
 
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Yes, I thought it was very interesting - a rare look into a very secret program. Did you catch the statement that parts of that program are still classified! Of course that may be simply because no one has filed a FOIA request for declassification. I heard that there are something like 1 billion documents from the cold war awaiting declassification.

On the other hand, given that Nova did a documentary on it, one would think that they filed a FOIA request.

I liked the news headline that the one astronaut said that they joked about: A secret rocket was launched from an unknown location for an undisclosed mission with a crew of unnamed astronauts...
 
Ivan Seeking said:
On the other hand, given that Nova did a documentary on it, one would think that they filed a FOIA request.

That, or they are good friends with the government's PR and get free scraps if they don't dig up old bones.
 
Pythagorean said:
That, or they are good friends with the government's PR and get free scraps if they don't dig up old bones.

The declassification process is pretty standard. Illegally releasing classified information is a serious offense.

Much of the good UFO stuff comes from declassified files obtained through a FOIA request.
 
Ivan Seeking said:
Watch online: [PLAIN]http://vide...em is not currently available"[/I] :frown:
 
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Equate said:
"The selected item is not currently available"

:frown:

Only one person may watch it at a time. Please wait your turn... :-p
 
Equate said:
"The selected item is not currently available"

:frown:

It is working okay for me at the moment. If you continue to have problems, go to the main link
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/astrospies/

go to watch video, programs, Nova, Astrospies [on page 2].
 
That worked, thanks.

Very interesting information in that piece...
 
  • #10
Ivan Seeking said:
The declassification process is pretty standard. Illegally releasing classified information is a serious offense.

Much of the good UFO stuff comes from declassified files obtained through a FOIA request.

Well, I wasn't completely serious, but I wasn't referring to illegally releasing classified information. Just about filing more FOIA's then certain peoples would appreciate.
 

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