Atmospheric Radiation Anomolies - July 2021 [NRO request]

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

(1) Any and all Optical Satellite Imaging, Synthetic-Aperture Radar Imaging, Radar bands, and polarization (X Band, C Band, L Band) data; any and all RF Spectrum data; aerial photographs; as well as any and all analysis, memoranda or electronic correspondence regarding such images or data as they pertain to the time period on July 16th, 2021 from 0340 hours to 0430 hours (Pacific local time), observing a rectangular region demarcated by the following geospatial points near the coast of San Diego:

Point 1: 33°32'13" N 118°45'51" W
Point 2: 33°40'03" N 117°58'15" W
Point 3: 33°30'44" N 117°43'44" W
Point 4: 33°12'50" N 118°25'49" W

(2) All records—including reports, presentations, correspondence, and data—mentioning the sun's "far side" and/or "halo" coronal mass ejection (CME) events that were noted on from July 13th, 2021 to July 17th, 2021.

Context: Around 4:00 AM (+/- 10 minutes) on July 16, 2021, researchers from SUNY Albany's physics department observed what appears to be the formation of a fallstreak cloud, correlated with anomalous radiation measurements (high energy particles with energies of approximately 20-40 MeV). This request is an effort to further explore these findings.

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Note: I am a freelance reporter and would request that any relevant fees be waived. My past work has appeared at New York magazine's Intelligencer blog, Scientific American, Slate, The New Republic, The New York Review of Books, Chemical Engineering magazine, and elsewhere.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Matthew Phelan

To whom it may concern:

I am appealing this 7 July 2022 Final Response letter to my request, NRO FOIA Case F-2022-00163, on the grounds that the response letter does not adequately address this portion of my original request: "memoranda or electronic correspondence regarding such images or data"

While, per FOIA public liaison Anita Casamento's guidance in the response letter (attached), NRO does not conduct its own analysis of the data from these satellite systems, it stands to reason that instances may emerge when it is compelled to communicate with its partner agencies about those systems—precisely during perceived unusual or anomalous atmospheric events that may or may not prove to be technical issues with the NRO-operated equipment. It's my hope that any and all segregable portions of such correspondence can be made available regarding this event.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter.

Best Regards,
Matthew Phelan