A longish read, and one that cuts off just as it starts getting interesting, but from an era where similar goings-on occurred. The "Glomar Response" ("we neither confirm nor deny"
https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab/articles/confi...) arose out of a not-dissimilar cover-mission project. Project Iceworm, and quite arguably the entire US-Soviet space race also come to mind.
But worthwhile, and a bit of history I hadn't been aware of.