GIANT DRAGON MSN EVALUATIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78B04555A000100080063-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 9, 2008
• Sequence Number: 63
• Publication Date: April 15, 1969
• Content Type: CABLE

Approved For Release 2008/07/09: CIA-RDP78BO4555A000100080063-3
P 152356Z APR 69
FM.NPIC WASHDC
.TO RUEFHQA/HQS USAF WASHDC
RUEOJFA/DIA
BT
S E C R E T CITE NPIC 6100.
USAF FOR AFIGOS; DIA FOR DIAXX-2
REF: DIAXX-2 6164 APRIL 69
SUBJ: GIANT DRAGON MSN EVALUATIONS
1969 'APR 16 00
42Z
o'TT 6:74 :
-.1. IMAGE QUALITY: AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MISSION T} E MASTER
CAMERA IMAGERY IS OF SLIGHTLY LESS QUALITY THAN THAT PRODUCED BY
THE SLAVE CAMERA. THE QUALITY OF BOTH .RECORDS, HOWEVER, IS
CONSIDERED .TO BE FAIR. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 200 FRAMES THE QUALITY
OF THE. MASTER IMAGERY APPEARS TO HAVE IMPROVED.SLIGHTLY,BUT IS
STILL CONSIDERED TO BE ONLY FAIR. IT REMAINS. AT THIS QUALITY LEVEL
THROUGH THE END OF THE. MISSION. CONVERSELY, THE QUALITY OF THE
IMAGERY PRODUCED BY THE SLAVE CAMERA APPEARS TO BECOME. SLIGHTLY
POORER AS THE MISSION PROGRESSES. AFTER APPROXIMATELY TWO-THIRDS
OF THE WAY THROUGH THE MISSION, THIS TREND REVERSES ITSELF AND THE
QUALITY GRADUALLY IMPROVES U:T IL THE ORIGINAL FAIR "QUALITY IS
PAGE 2 RUEADJU 0058 S r. C R E T
HEACHE.D AND MAINTAINED THROUGH THE END OF THE MISSION. IMAGE SMEAR
IS APPARENT Ow BOTH CAMERA RECORDS INTERMITTENTLY THROUGHOUT THE..
MISSIO,1. IN ADDITION INSTANCES OF DOUBLE. IMAGERY ARE PRESENT 00
-i &ROUS SLAVE CAMERA FRAMES. IN GENERAL THE IMAGERY FROM: BOTH
CAMERA RECORDS HAS AN OUT OF FOCUS APPEARANCE THROUGHOUT THE
MISSION AND IS NOT COMPARABLE TO THE GOOD QUALITY IMAGERY WHICH
THIS SYSTEM CAN PROVIDE. THE IMAGE QUALITY VARIANCE EXPERIENCED
THROUGHOUT THE MISSION POSSIBLY RESULTS FROM TEMPERATURE VAR A 4D-ISTRIBUTIOId
WITHIN THE CAMERA PAY THAT OCCUR BECAUSE OF INSUFFICIENT. TIM
.BETWEEN TAKE-OFF AND CAMERA OPERATION. (THE CAMERA NANUFACTU
RECOMMENDS A HOUR AND A HALF) THE AVERAGE GROUND RESOLUTION
BY BOTH CAMERAS IS ESTIMATt.D TO BE FIVE FEET. THE BEST RESOL
PROVIDED BY BOTH CAMERAS IS ESTIMATED T& O CLOU
COVER AND HAZE OBSCURE APPROXIMATELY FIVE PERCENT OF THE ENT
MISSION. .
2. i 9ISSION DATA
A MISSION NUMBER : T090
S. DATE: 20 MARCH 69
C. CAMERA NUMBERS
( 1 ) MASTER: I 1 1
PAGE 3 RUEADJU 0058 S E C R E T
(2) SLAVE: UNREADABLE, THE IMAGE IS HEAVILY BLOOM
0. FLIGHT TIMES: T/OFF 0015Z C/ON. 0037Z
E. FILM: 3404
F. EXPOSURE: 1/225
G. APERTURE: F 3.5
H. FILTER: MINUS BLUE
I. PROCESSED BY: NOT AVAILABLE
J. AVERAGE GAMMAS.: NOT AVAILABLE
3. ORIGINAL AGATIVES:?
A. EXPOSURE: THE EXPOSURE IS ADEQUATE ALTHOUGH THE D
CHANGE FROM BEGINNING TO END INDICATES APPROXIMATELY A FULL
Approved For Release 2008/07/09: CIA-RDP78BO4555A000100080063-3
 Approved For Release 2008/07/09: CIA-RDP78BO4555A000100080063-3
CHAWG.: IN EXPOSURE IS NEEDED TO COMPENSATE FOR THE DENSITY 'CHANGL;.
B. DENSITY AND . CONTRAST THE DENSITY AND CONTRAST ARE
ACCEPTADLE BUT BOTH INCREASE AS THE MISSION PROGRESSES.
C. IMAGE DEGRADATIOiNIS o
(1). MASTER: FRAME 1, 1310, 13.25 AND. 1326 CONTAIN
SPLASH TYPE FOG PATTERNS. A CONTINUOUS PLUS DENSITY STREAK IS
PRESENT JUST WITHIN THE NOW-TITLED EDGE OF THE FORMAT THROUGHOUT
THE MISSIONN. THIS DENSITY STREAK MAY BE CAUSED BY 20/0 C..P.S. TIME.
TRACK LIGHT BEING CONTINUOUSLY O.
PAGE. 4 RUEADJU v)05S S E C R E T
(2) SLAVE: FRAViE I AND 1329, CONTAIN SPLASH.'TYPE FOG..
FATTEROS.
(3) 30TH: BANDING IS PRESENT ON THE FIRST TWO INCHES OF.
THE TAKE-UP END OF EACH FRAME.
D. PHYSICAL DEGRADATIONS
(1) i?iASTER o ONE 1-1ANUFACTUI ER' `S SP,L'ICE IS PRESENT I'M'
THE MATERIAL. .
(2) SLAVE* ONE MANUFACTURER'S SPLICE AND TWO HEAT
SPLICES ARE PRESENT IN THE MATERIAL. FINE -LONGITUDINAL EMULSION
SCtiATCHiP- S ARE 'PRESENT THROUGHOUT.
E. AUXILIARY DATA*. THE EVENTS COUNTER. AND. CAMERA SERIAL
ct,UMBEN ARE THE ONLY AUXILIARY DATA IMAGED. THE IMAGE OF THE SLAVE
CAMIERA SERIAL NUMBER IS SEVERELY BLOOM{IT'D. F.
F. THE LAST TITLED MASTER Fi{A IS 1326, AND THE LAST
TITLED SLAVE FRAME IS 1329.
GP-1
E C R E T
END OF MESSAGE
Approved For Release 2008/07/09: CIA-RDP78BO4555A000100080063-3