US declassifies Cold War-era 'JUMPSEAT' spy satellite programme

The United States government has declassified details of a secret Cold War-era spy satellite programme known as JUMPSEAT, nearly four decades after its final launch. The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) confirmed that eight JUMPSEAT satellites were launched between 1971 and 1987 to collect signals intelligence from space. According to NRO, JUMPSEAT played a crucial role during the Cold War.