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They did: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratospheric_Observatory_for_Infrared_Astronomy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratospheric_Observatory_for_...

• prox 5y ago
  Didn’t they also get a few older (Hubble type) spy satellites to use? I remember a story about that.
  • atommclain 5y ago
    My hazy memory is that the NRO offered NASA a few satellite bodies that they could populate with optic systems. Since they were originally designed for monitoring earth they aren’t well suited for capturing data at much longer distances. If I recall correctly I think someone explained that it’s like trying to peer through a straw, it works, but ideally you’d want a much wider field of view. And apparently the James Web telescope handles this much better.
    • Y_Y 5y ago
      They're launching one, the other is waiting for a use-case.
    • privong 5y ago
      The NRO satellites actually have an optical design with a larger field of view than Hubble does. One of the NRO spacecraft busses is being use for the WFIRST / Nancy Grace Roman space telescope because of the wider field of view.
      • atommclain 5y ago
        Good info, thanks for the corrections!