Dr. Didi Kuo is currently the Principal Deputy Director and Chief Architect of the GEOINT Directorate at the NRO, and a Tier 2 Defense Intelligence Senior Executive.
Dr. Kuo graduated with distinction from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1988 with a degree in physics. 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 Organization.
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 sensor technology as the payload manager for the Future Imaging Architecture.
Upon graduating Air Command and Staff College in 2001, Dr. Kuo was assigned to the 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 multibillion-dollar portfolio of counterspace and Space Situational Awareness programs.
In 2008, Dr. Kuo was assigned to the NRO and became the Deputy Director, Electro-Optical Systems Program Office, where he managed the acquisition of billions of dollars in imagery satellites. In 2012, the Air Force appointed 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 appointed the GEOINT Chief Architect. In 2023, he became the GEOINT Principal Deputy in addition to the Chief Architect.
As PDD, he leads a joint team responsible for the planning, cross-coordination, and acquisition of systems that provide critical intelligence to national decision-makers and warfighters worldwide.