▁K od ak , ▁there ▁is ▁spec ulation ▁that ▁the ▁company ▁name ▁was ▁an ▁ac ron ym ▁for ▁" I ▁To ok ▁East man ▁K od ak ". ▁ ▁Cor ona ▁We eks ▁after ▁the ▁company ▁formed ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 9 5 7 , ▁Leg horn ▁took ▁it ▁in ▁an ▁entirely ▁different ▁direction ▁by ▁purch asing ▁the ▁Boston ▁University ▁Phys ical ▁Research ▁Labor atory ▁( B UP RL ), ▁which ▁research ed ▁reconna issance ▁cam eras . ▁B UP RL ▁was ▁design ing ▁the ▁H Y AC - 1 ▁camera ▁for ▁the ▁US AF ' s ▁reconna issance ▁bal lo on ▁efforts , ▁cam eras ▁that ▁would ▁eventually ▁fly ▁on ▁the ▁W S - 4 6 1 L ▁bal lo ons ▁during ▁ 1 9 5 7 . ▁Now ▁at ▁I tek , ▁the ▁company ▁won ▁contract s ▁for ▁similar ▁cam eras ▁for ▁aircraft ▁like ▁the ▁U - 2 ▁and ▁SR - 7 1 . ▁ ▁The ▁C IA ▁quickly ▁informed ▁them ▁of ▁their ▁top ▁secret ▁Cor ona ▁to ▁produce ▁the ▁first ▁sp y ▁sat ell ites , ▁and ▁asked ▁them ▁to ▁bid ▁on ▁the ▁camera ▁systems . ▁I tek ▁returned ▁a ▁design ▁that ▁used ▁a ▁rot ating ▁mirror ▁to ▁record ▁pan or am ic ▁sw ath s ▁of ▁the ▁ground . ▁Film ▁was ▁delivered ▁from ▁a ▁can ister ▁and ▁wrapped ▁around ▁a ▁cyl ind rical ▁window ▁that ▁allowed ▁the ▁maximum ▁length ▁of ▁film ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁in ▁a ▁single ▁expos ure , ▁increasing ▁resolution . ▁The ▁rotation ▁of ▁the ▁mirror ▁was