EARTH SATELLITE TRACKING AND COMMUNICATION CENTER, SIMFEROPOL, USSR, MARCH 1964

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78B04560A002200010051-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 3, 2006
• Sequence Number: 51
• Publication Date: May 1, 1964
• Content Type: REPORT

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12 Pages May 1964
PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION REPORT
EARTH SATELLITE TRACKING
AND COMMUNICATION CENTER,
SIMFEROPOL, USSR,
MARCH 1964
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PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION REPORT
EARTH SATELLITE TRACKING
AND COMMUNICATION CENTER,
SIMFEROPOL, USSR,
MARCH 1964
N P I C/R-293/64
May 1964
NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER
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NPIC/R-293/64
This report, prepared in response to an NSA requirement,
amplifies and updates information on the Simferopol Center as given
in NPIC/R-69/64, February 1964. 1/ The principal photography
utilized in this report is from Mission 4006 (March 1964) which has
an improved scale that allows refinement of certain details derived
from earlier, small-scale photography. Various analytical limitations
continue to be felt, however, especially in that the elements of the
telemetry arrays at the Center are not massive enough in structure
to be defined, and in that the Mission 4006 photography does not lend
itself to existing mensuration techniques.
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 The Simferopol Earth Satellite Tracking
and Communication Center is located at 45-03N
33-53E, 11 nautical miles (nm) northwest of the
town of Simferopol in the Crimea (Figure 1).
NPIC/R-293/64
NPIC H-9834 (8/64)
FIGURE T. LOCATION OF SIMFEROPOL CENTER.
Although the Center has not changed appreciably
since
fence
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enclosing the Center
the same, there is now evidence of secondary
fencing which more clearly delineates the
division of function within the Center (Figures
2 and 3). For this reason, certain areas
carried in R-69/64 as separate items are now
combined and described in this report as one,
the Main Operations Area, with the following
secondary breakdown within the area:
Radio Telescope Site
Unidentified Arrays and Microwave Section
FLIM FLAM Station
Control Facilities
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Shop
Section.
There are also considered to be three oper-
ational sub-areas: the High-Frequency (HF)
Communications Antenna Farm, adjacent to the
northern side of the Main Operations Area; and,
physically separated from the main area, the
Interferometer Site to the west, and the Probable
Satellite Telemetry Collection Site to the east.
A support area, somewhat less extensive than
previously drawn, completes the apparent
functional division of the Center.
MAIN OPERATIONS AREA
Radio Telescope Site
This section can now be seen to be separ-
ately secured within the main fencing, but
there has been no apparent change since its
earlier description in R-69/64 (as Item A, Radio
Astronomy Station). Several miscellaneous
buildings can now be more precisely delineated
as a result of the larger scale photography,
including small guard houses in three of the
four corners of the enclosure and a gatehouse
at the entrance. The steerable radio telescope
or tracking dish remains in the stow position as
previously reported. Its reflecting surface
appears solid with a small, circular opening
at the center. The feed is mounted on a
quadrupedal structure. Two cable scars are
visible extending out from the two previously
reported calibration towers south of the site.
One scar terminates near the radio telescope,
the other enters the center just east of the Radio
Telescope Site but is not visible beyond this point.
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Unidentified Arrays and Microwave Section
This section includes one control building,
one microwave tower with two reflectors, 2
unidentified arrays/reflectors (possible DRUM
HEAD), one filled cooling pond, and 2 small
switching-type buildings. The major changes
in the section since its earlier description
occur with respect to the equipment present.
For example, in addition to the single previously
reported probable DRUM HEAD troposcatter
antenna (which appears to be oriented at approx-
imately
raptly),
similar
photog-
second,
hundred feet east of the control building and
appears to be oriented at approximately 240
degrees. Both of these antennas are connected
to the control building by cable scars. Although
the identification of these antennas is not firm,
they are both slightly elevated on earthen
mounds and are apparently rotatable in azimuth
and elevation.
Another change is that the previously re-
ported location of the steerable yagi array
now appears instead as a small switching-type
building; the yagi array, visible on the ground
photography, cannot be identified or located on
hotography.
Two prominent cable scars extend into the
radio telescope site, one from the microwave
tower and the second from the control building.
The presence of these scars indicates a
functional tie between the two areas.
No new structures have been constructed
at the FLIM FLAM Station, but certain changes
can be noted with regard to the two previously
reported two-story, 80- by 55-foot buildings.
The western building now has an environmental
protection dome covering the majority of its
roof surface. At the center of the roof of the
eastern building, there appears to be a square
platform with a ringlike structure around it.
There is also a small structure in the north-
east corner of this roof, and another in the
southeast corner. On the ground just east of the
eastern building, there are two small, adjacent
circular objects. The presence of a crane at
the northeast corner of the eastern building
indicates continuing construction activity on the
roof of that building.
All of the control-type and associated
buildings not covered under other specific
headings are included in this section, an ex-
tensive and irregularly shaped area which con-
tains 6 control buildings, one large associated
building, one small switching-type building, and
one unfilled cooling pond. Although these were
all present oni hotography, it was
not possible to define their function at that
time. In addition, there is a ground scar,
probably a cable scar, which begins at the
easternmost control building and extends west-
ward into an area containing three of the con-
trol buildings and the large associated building.
Just to the west of this group of buildings is
a hardstand where two electronic vans and three
smaller pieces of equipment are parked. Three
additional vans, of the communications type, are
parked just east of the northernmost control
building. This building has a probable very high
frequency (VIIF) tracking/communications
antenna mounted at the northwest corner of
its roof.
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Shop Section
This section contains one large vehicle
repair and storage building with approximately
20 bays, and 2 large repair shops, all of which
share a large common parking apron; 6 medium-
sized shops/storage buildings, and several
small, miscellaneous buildings.
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HIGH-FREQUENCY
COMMUNICATIONS
ANTENNA FARM
UNIDENTIFIED ARRAYS
AND
MICROWAVE SECTION
VEHICLE MAINTENANCE AND
REPAIR SHOP SECTION
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----------------
------------ ------
_.___---- UNIDEN TI FIED-
_______________
Cable scar
---------- Ground scar
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-W Wall
TWO 74-HELIX-'?
ANTENNAS
PROBABLE SATELLITE
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Road
Trail/unimproved road
Paved area
Main operations area
Division within main
operations area
Other operations area
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Interferometer Site
Construction activity continues on the inter-
ferometer. No electronic equipment was noted
on either of the two graded, perpendicular
base lines. A building, under construction just
south of the point of intersection of the base
lines, will be subsequently covered with earth
in all probability. A probable cable scar begins
at the interferometer site and extends east to
a point approximately 500 feet south of the two
FLIM FLAM buildings. Adjacent to this termin-
ation point is an excavation where, probably, a
control building will be constructed.
Probable Satellite Telemetry Collection Site
This site, displaced to the east from the
main operations area, is wall-secured on the
north and east sides only. Just outside the
eastern wall there is evidence of foundation
footings for an additional structure or
structures. A ground scar begins near the south-
west corner of the site, extends southeast, and
terminates at a building of unknown function. In
regard to the four previously reported helix
antenna arrays, the two 14-helix antennas appear
to be mounted on H-shaped structures and the
two 8-helix antennas appear to be mounted on
pedestals. Roughly in the center of the site
is an unidentified object which may be a piece
of equipment. The previously reported 90-foot
dish under construction has been removed, and
is not visible anywhere within the Center. No
other changes from the previous description have
been noted.
No visible change is noted since the earlier
description of these facilities in R-69/64.
The support area contains 73 buildings,
a sizable increase over previous estimates yet
one which is a result of the greater accuracy
possible on large-scale photography rather than
of any new construction activity at the Center,
for the area has not changed in overall size or
appearance. There is only one significant new
building under construction, a large, adminis-
tration or headquarters type, situated in the
northwest corner of the area. Centrally located
within the area are five bunkers probably utilized
for fuel storage. No other significant additions
can be made to the previous description.
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ACIC. US Air Target Chart, Series 200, Sheet 250-20HL, 4th ed, Sep 62, scale 1:200,000 (SECRET)
USNIIO. US Air Target Mosaic, Series 50, Sheet 250- 20/10MA, 1st ed, Jun 62, scale 1:50,000 (SECRET)
1. NPIC. R-69/64,
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tellite Tracking and Communication Center, Sirferopal, USSR, Feb 64 (TOP SECRET
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