Dr. S. Didi Kuo
Principal Deputy Director, GEOINT Systems Acquisition Directorate
NRO
Dr. Didi Kuo is a Defense Intelligence Senior Executive and the Principal Deputy Director, Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) Systems Acquisition Directorate, National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), Chantilly, Virginia.
Dr. Kuo graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1988 as the top cadet in the Physics department. His first assignment was with the Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico. He worked on modeling and simulation of neutral particle beam satellites for the Strategic Defense Initiative. In 1992 Dr. Kuo was selected as the Air Force Maui Optical Station Laser and Control Systems Project Manager. During this time he was responsible for the integration of the Air Force’s largest telescope for satellite surveillance into the site.
After completing his Ph.D. in Imaging Science at the Rochester Institute of Technology in 1997, Dr. Kuo was assigned to the NRO. While at the NRO he worked on the development of advanced GEOINT technologies and became the Payload Project Manager for the Future Imaging Architecture.
After graduating Air Command and Staff College as Distinguished Graduate in 2001, Dr. Kuo was assigned to the Los Angeles Space and Missile Center where he worked on the Space - Based Laser and the Space Tracking and Surveillance System. During this time he supported the Missile Defense Agency in developing their highest priority space program.
Dr. Kuo attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 2005 and was then assigned to the Directorate of Space Acquisition in the Office of the Undersecretary of the Air Force at the Pentagon. As the Deputy, Space Control Division, he directed a multi-billion-dollar portfolio of counterspace and Space Situational Awareness programs. In 2008, Dr. Kuo was assigned to the NRO as the Director, Electro-Optical Futures Group, and later became the Deputy Director, Electro-Optical Systems Program Office where he managed the acquisition of over $10 Billion of imagery satellites. In 2012, the Air Force selected Dr. Kuo as a Senior Materiel Leader. In 2015, Dr. Kuo retired at the rank of Colonel from the United States Air Force.
Dr. Kuo has been a member of the NRO Cadre since 2015 and was the GEOINT Chief Architect until he became the Principal Deputy Director in 2024. Dr. Kuo’s awards include the Joseph V. Charyk, Jimmie D. Hill award, NRO Gold Medal, and Defense Superior Service Medal. He has authored numerous technical and professional publications.
