SPACE TECHNOLOGY MILITARY SATELLITES GAIN VITAL DATA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP89B00739R000300010002-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 18, 2003
• Sequence Number: 2
• Content Type: NSPR

Space TechnoltyyvedRelease 2004/05/13: CIA-RDP89B00R000300010002-7
Military Satellites Gain Vital Data
U.S. reconnaissance effort yields precise information on Soviet,
Red Chinese strategic weapons after trouble-filled beginning
By Philip J. Klass
Washington-U.S. military reconnaissance satellite program is operating with near
clock-like precision less than a decade after a trouble-filled beginning and is pro-
viding top government officials with remarkably precise data on Soviet and Red
Chinese strategic weapons.
This explains why Defense Dept. figures on Soviet ICBM deployment made
public during the Safeguard anti-ballistic missile system debate are not questioned
by ABM critics although they challenge Defense Secretary Melvin R. Laird's
interpretation of Soviet intent.
Analysis indicates that present photo
and electromagnetic reconnaissance
spacecraft are third or fourth generation
designs which are considerably more
complex than models launched in the
very early 1960s. For example, current
designs have cloud-cover sensors to pre-
vent them from wasting film on targets
obscured by weather, a valuable feature
not found on the first photo satellites.
Real-time Capability
Still more advanced designs in the
future are expected to provide real-time
photo and electromagnetic reconnais-
sance. Photos or electromagnetic signals
will be relayed via another satellite to
earth stations while the spacecraft is
still in orbit. This upcoming capability
helps to explain the Pentagon willing-
ness to abandon the USAF's manned
orbiting laboratory (MOL) (Aw&sT June
16, p. 29).
Since late 1961, the U.S. has been as
secretive as the USSR about its recon-
naissance satellite effort. Prior to that
time, the U.S. made no effort to hide
the first three launches of the Samos
photo reconnaissance satellite, only one
of which went into orbit, on Jan. 31,
1961.
Despite this secrecy, it is possible usu-
ally to identify most reconnaissance sat-
ellites and to deduce their function from
the bare orbital parameters which all
countries are obligated to report to the
United Nations. The periodic satellite
situation reports, prepared by the USAF
and published by the National Aero-
nautics and Space Administration and
Britain's Royal Aircraft Establishment,
reveal the time-in-orbit for each satellite
which also helps to identify its function.
The photo-reconnaissance satellites
launched by the U.S. and USSR are
generally marked by an extremely low
perigee, in the range of 90-125 mi., to
achieve maximum possible resolution.
U.S. electromagnetic ferret satellites
generally operate in near-circular orbits
at 200-300 mi.
While all Soviet photo-recon satellites
are recovered for photo analysis after
approximately eight days in orbit (Aw&
sT Dec. 9, 1968, p. 83), the U.S. em-
ploys two basic types for photographic
purposes. Each has a different duration
in orbit. These include:
w Area surveillance satellite, with a
wide-angle, lower-resolution camera sys-
tem, is designed to search the large
expanses of the Soviet Union and Com-
munist China for objects of potential
interest. This type spacecraft usually
remains in orbit for three to four weeks
before its film payload re-enters and is
recovered by USAF/Lockheed C-130
aircraft for analysis. This type satellite
originally was launched by a McDonnell
Douglas/ Lockheed Thor/Agena booster
and more recently by improved versions
including the Thrust Augmented Thor
(TAT) with three strap-on Thiokol
Castor 2 solid rockets, and recently by
the Long-Tank TAT, or LTAT.
^ Close-look satellite, with high-reso-
lution and relatively narrow-field of view
camera, is designed to re-photograph
areas of interest spotted on the large-
area surveillance photos. These satellites,
larger than the other type, normally are
launched into a near-polar orbit and re-
main there for no more than five days
before payload recovery. First models
were launched by a General Dynamics/
Lockheed Atlas/Agena, with a transi-
tion to the Martin/Lockheed Titan-3B/
Agena-D starting in mid-1966.
Mid-air film capsule recovery is also
employed.
Lockheed Missile & Space Co. is the
prime contractor for both photo recon-
naissance satellites.
Program Maturity
Analysis of U.S. launches starting in
1962 (see chart, p. 56), reveals that
while the reconnaissance satellite pro-
gram undoubtedly was producing valu-
able intelligence in the early 1960s, it
appears to have reached operational
maturity around 1965-66.
For example, in 1962-64, there often
were two of the smaller area-surveil-
lance satellites in orbit simultaneously.
This prompts speculation that the re-
dundant spacecraft might have been
launched because of reliability problems
with the one already in orbit, although
there are other possible explanations.
Since early 1966, the U.S. has orbited
8-9 of the smaller photo-reconnaissance
satellites per year, with virtually no
(Continued on p. 58)
Lockheed Agena-D spacecraft, with unidentified payload believed to be a photo-recon-
naissance satellite, is shown undergoing checkout before delivery. Present model,
probably a third- or fourth-generation design, is launched by Titan-3B for large close-
look photos or by Long-Tank Thrust-Augmented Thor for area surveillance.
Aviation Week & Space Techn4 pprsl?Y&dbFor5RHlewse 2004/05/13: CIA-RDP89B00739R000300010002-7 55
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Log of U.S. reconnaissance satellite launches, both photo and electromagnetic ferret types, is shown beginning with 1962. Are
surveillance photo satellites, which remain in orbit for several weeks before their film pack is recovered and analyzed for objects-o
potential interest, are launched by Thor/Agena and its more recent thrust-augmented version. Larger photo satellite subsequently.i!
launched to take close-look pictures of objects of specific interest and remains in orbit only for several days before its film pack is
56 Approved For Release 2004/05/13 : CIA-RDP89B007J Q;00elQQ JQ2rejhnology, September 15, 1969
 JULY
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FT O Failed To Orbit
-recovered. These close-look photo satellites were first launched by Atlas/Agena-D boosters, but since mid-1967 a Titan-3B/Agena-D
has been used. Photo-reconnaissance satellites are marked by low altitude with perigee of about 100 mi. Ferret satellites, which
record radar and communications signals, are launched into slightly higher, more circular orbits, with altitudes of 200-300 mi.
Ferret satellites
ori
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ed individually, have since 1964 been launched in tandem with photo spacecraft.
Aviation Week & Space Technology, September 15, 1969
Approved For Release 2004/05/13 : CIA-RDP89B00739R000300010002-7
 PARACHUTE COVER
FLASHING LIGHT
Discoverer re-entry/recovery vehicle, developed by General Electric's Missile & Space
Div., is shown in cutaway drawing. Present photo-reconnaissance satellite capsule is
somewhat larger to accommodate the camera film pack.
(Continued from p. 55)
overlap between successive spacecraft
(see chart, p. 57). In this period, there
has been an area-surveillance type space-
craft in orbit during approximately half
of the days in the year.
The Soviet Union has achieved com-
parable days-in-orbit coverage since
1966-67 by launching more than 20 of
its eight-day satellites per year. There is
speculation that some of these are area-
surveillance types while others are the
close-look variety.
The U.S. close-look photo reconnais-
Film Capsule Recovery Technique
Difficult technique of mid-air recovery of film capsules ejected from reconnais-
sance spacecraft, which became the cornerstone of the U.S. spaceborne stra-
tegic surveillance program, had a long and discouraging development period.
The Discoverer series of satellites served as a test bed for spacecraft stabil-
ization, capsule ejection and subsequent mid-air recovery by specially equipped
Fairchild Hiller C-119 and Lockheed C-130 cargo transports. General Electric's
Missile & Space Div. developed the recoverable capsule.
The initial Discoverer satellite was launched Feb. 28, 1959, barely 16 months
after Sputnik 1, and was the first to achieve polar orbit. The program appeared
to be off to a good start, especially when Discoverer 2, launched on Apr. 13,
successfully ejected its capsule. But ejection occurred at the wrong time and
the capsule came down in the far north of Norway and was never recovered.
The next two Discoverer satellites failed to go into orbit. Discoverer 6
ejected its capsule successfully but it was not recovered, and the capsule from
Discoverer 7 failed to return to earth because of spacecraft stabilization prob-
lems. Three of the next five Discoverers failed to achieve orbit and the other
two capsules were successfully ejected but not recovered.
Finally, on Aug. 10, 1960, Discoverer 13 was launched and after ejecting
the capsule on the 17th orbit, it was recovered from the Pacific Ocean by frog-
men after mid-air recovery failed. Eight days later, on Aug. 18, 1960, Dis-
coverer 14 was launched and the first mid-air recovery was made after the
capsule ejected during the 17th orbit. The capsule was recovered by a C-119
operated by the 6954th Recovery Control Group based at Hickam AFB, Hawaii.
The technology was not yet completely in hand. The capsule of Dis-
coverer 15, launched on Sept. 13, was lost in the ocean, but the capsule of
Discoverer 17, orbited on Dec. 7, 1960, was recovered in mid-air.
By the time the Discoverer program ended late in February, 1962, its record
stood at 26 satellites orbited out of 38 launches. Of the 23 attempted capsule
recoveries, eight mid-air catches were made and four capsules were recovered
from the ocean.
No figures are available on the record of successful recoveries for the oper-
ational photo-reconnaissance satellites which began at about the time the
Discoverer program ended.
flOQil4H&2ti7to show the regu-
larity of a fully operational system in
mid-1963. Their briefer time in orbit
does not require reliability as great as
the smaller spacecraft. Since that period,
the U.S. has orbited close-look space-
craft at a rate of 8-9 per year, at roughly
six-week intervals. A notable exception
occurred during 1966 when the U.S.
made 12 launches, using the Atlas/
Agena-D, as well as three others with
the new Titan-3B/Agena-D.
Soviets Act on ABM
It was during this same period that
the Soviet Union began to install an
anti-ballistic missile system around Mos-
cow and to increase its deployment of
hardened ICBMs.
This was revealed in former Defense
Secretary Robert S. McNamara's pos-
ture statement of Jan. 23, 1967, which
said: "Two significant changes have oc-
curred during the last year in our pro-
jections of Soviet strategic forces. The
first is a faster than anticipated rate of
construction of hard ICBM silos. . . .
the second is more positive evidence of
a deployment of an anti-ballistic missile
system around Moscow."
The first of the U.S. electromagnetic
ferret-type spacecraft, designed to meas-
ure the characteristics of radar and to
intercept communications normally
limited to line-of-sight distances, appears
to have been the satellite launched on
June 18, 1962. This satellite was placed
in an 82-deg. inclined orbit, with apogee
of 244 mi. and perigee of 234 mi., which
would take it over most of the military
installations in the USSR. These orbital
parameters are typical for the ferret
spacecraft.
As the electromagnetic intelligence
community learned to decipher the jum-
ble of signals received and to refine the
spaceborne data collection process, the
rate of ferret launches has gradually in-
creased. Two ferrets Were launched in
1962, each by a Thor-Agena, four in
1963 and six in 1964. This type satellite
is not recovered. Instead it records elec-
tromagnetic signals on tape and trans-
mits them back to earth when passing
over one of several ground stations.
These include facilities in Hawaii, New
Hampshire and California.
Piggy-Back Technique
Beginning in the spring of 1965, the
USAF introduced a new piggy-back
launch technique designed to reduce the
number of costly boosters required. An
improved performance Atlas/Agena-D
was used to boost both a ferret satellite
and a close-look photo reconnaissance
satellite, each into its own preferred
orbit. In the first such launch, the photo
satellite was placed in orbit with a
perigee of 95 mi., and an apogee of 171
mi.
The ferret was placed in a 303-mi.
58 Approved For Release 2004/05/13 : CIA-RDIOaBAAr79IRQQQAWAQQzilptember 15, 1969
 perigee, 349-mi. apogee, givi a pro-
jected life-in-orbit of seven itrgyRP
_ inclination for both was about 95 deg.
The Atlas/Agena-D continued to be
used for dual satellite launches until late
1966. On May 9, 1967, the new Long-
Tank Thrust Augmented Thor/Agena
(LTTAT), which had first been tested
the previous summer to launch one of
the smaller photo satellites, took over
the mission of orbiting the ferret satel-
lites in tandem, but in combination with
the smaller photo satellites.
The change presumably was made to
accommodate a new, larger generation
of close-look photo satellites which
would be launched by the Titan-3B/
Agena-D, beginning July 29, 1966. By
the summer of 1967, the Atlas/Agena
had been retired as a launcher of close-
look photo satellites, along with this
older design of spacecraft.
Since the mid-1967 transition, all of
the small ferret satellites appear to have
been launched in tandem by the Long-
.Tank Thrust Augmented Thor/Agena,
with three exceptions. One, orbited July
24, 1967, was launched singly with a
Thrust Augmented Thor/Agena. The
second was launched individually on
Oct. 5, 1968 by a LTTAT/Agena. A
third was launched on July 31 of this
year by what is believed to have been a
Thor/Agena, but Britain's Royal Air-
craft Establishment is uncertain on this
point. Whether these single ferret space-
craft launches indicate a new, heavier
satellite design or were merely intended
to replace a malfunctioning ferret is a
matter for conjecture.
Weight Estimate
The Royal Aircraft Establishment
estimates that the standard small ferret
spacecraft weighs about 125 lb. and
measures roughly 3 ft. in diameter by
1-ft. high. But the Royal Aircraft Estab-
lishment emphasizes that these are only
gross estimates, presumably based on
spacecraft radar echo characteristics and
orbital behavior. Some U.S. observers
believe the current ferret satellites weigh
several hundred pounds.
The weight of current photo-recon-
naissance spacecraft can be roughly
estimated by several means. In the early
1960s, .the USAF released figures on the
first three Samos satellite prototypes and
on the Discoverer spacecraft which
served as test-bed vehicles.
Discoverer satellites launched into
near-polar orbit in 1961 using the Thor/
Agena-B had weights of 2,100-2,450
lb., including the Agena which contained
the payload as well as serving as a sec-
ond stage. The dry weight of an Agena
is about 1,500 lb.
Since that time, the thrust of the Thor
has been increased from 170,000 lb. to
slightly more than 200,000 lb. in the
long-tank version. Another 154,500 lb.
of thrust have been added with the
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Aviation Week & Space Techn*pprW ftdbFrot*' se 2004/05/13 : CIA-RDP89B00739R000300010002-7 59
 t~glwrs~ in a manned space-
craft-"couki p"er orm both functions dur-
ing a single pass, as well as carrying
out similar discrimination-judgment
functions for electromagnetic recon-
naissance. One potential problem was
the question of how long a human ob-
server could maintain a keen edge of
alertness during such missions. Ground-
based tests, using motion pictures taken
from high-altitude aircraft and from
satellites, reportedly raised some doubts
about the ability of spaceborne observ-
ers to maintain vigilance for a length
of time.
When the USAF originally began its
studies of reconnaissance satellites in
1956, as Weapon System 117L, it con-
sidered two possible design approaches.
One was the use of recoverable film cap-
sules and the other was to employ a
television camera whose pictures would
be transmitted back to earth.
Capsule from Discoverer 13, launched Aug. 10, 1960, was the first to be recovered
in mid-air by a Fairchild Hiller C-119. Second successful mid-air recovery, shown
above, was capsule from Discoverer 17, launched Nov. 12, 1960.
three strap-on rockets in the Long Tank
Thrust Augmented Thor version, for a
total thrust approaching 360,000 lb.
One source says the Long Tank
Thrust Augmented Thor/Agena-D can
place 2,640 lb. in low-altitude polar
orbit. Presumably this is useful payload
and does not include the weight of
Agena engine, tankage and fuel.
When the Atlas/Agena-D was used to
launch the Agena vehicle which served
as a rendezvous target for the Gemini
10 mission, its weight was listed at 7,184
lb. The 185-mi. high orbit was greater
than that employed for reconnaissance
missions, but it was placed into a low-
inclined orbit toward the east which
permits a greater payload than for a
polar orbit used for reconnaissance.
Samos Figures
The Royal Aircraft Establishment es-
timates the weight of the close-look sat-
ellites launched by the Atlas/Agena-D
at approximately 4,400 lb. Figures re-
leased on the original Samos 1-3 show
orbital weights of 4,100-4,200 lb., in-
cluding Agena dead weight. But these
original satellites were designed to orbit
at 300-mi. so that a somewhat greater
payload could be accommodated at the
approximately 100-mi. altitudes used in
later operational versions.
When the more powerful Titan-3B/
Agena-D came into use in the summer
of 1966, it undoubtedly marked the in-
troduction of a much more complex
photo-reconnaissance satellite since it
can orbit nearly 10,000 lb. of payload.
Some idea of the degree of spacecraft
complexity that can be achieved within
these weight envelopes can be gained by
considering non-military satellites de-
signed for less demanding reconnais-
sance-type missions and equipped with
television cameras instead of film. For
example, the Mariner 7, which made the
recent fly-by of Mars, weighed about
910 lb., the Nimbus 3 weather satellite
weighs 1,286 lb. and the Lunar Orbiters
each weighed approximately 860 lb.
Considerable portion of the weight of
military photo-reconnaissance satellites
results from the large film pack, long
focal-length optics and the film recovery
capsule and its retrograde thrusters.
For example, the General Electric-
developed re-entry capsule used in the
early Discoverer series, which pioneered
the presently used mid-air recovery tech-
nique, weighed 300 lb. (see box, p. 58).
Presumably, the recovery capsule em-
ployed in current operational photo sat-
ellites is several times that weight be-
cause of its film payload.
While the present arrangement of
using two types of photo reconnaissance
satellites, one to locate potential targets
of interest and the other to make de-
tailed pictures, is working well it has
certain inherent disadvantages. One is
the large number of photos that must be
taken by the surveillance satellite, many
of which show nothing of interest. An-
other is the delay between the taking of
these pictures, the time required for
their subsequent analysis and the launch
and recovery of a close-look type satel-
lite.
The concept behind MOL was that
Transmission Difficulty
The TV camera approach was aban-
doned for several reasons. One was that
the resolution then available was very
much poorer than that obtainable from
film. Another was the difficulty of trans-
mitting TV photos to the ground. At the
very low orbital altitude used, the recon-
naissance satellite is not within view of
sites where U.S. ground stations can be
situated during most of the time the
spacecraft is over targets of interest.
The idea of storing the photos on a
tape recorder for subsequent transmis-
sion when the satellite passes over sta-
tions outside the Iron Curtain was con-
sidered, but there were no suitable video
recorders at the time.
Technology developed during the last
decade has largely overcome these ob-
stacles. New types of videcon tubes for
TV cameras now provide resolution ap-
proaching that available from film. The
last two Apollo flights have demon-
strated that a simple, lightweight black/
white TV camera can yield color pic-
tures through the use of a simple se-
quential-scanning optical filter (AW&ST
May 26, p. 18).
Television Resolution
One indication of the resolution cur-
rently available from television cameras
can be found in the lunar surface pho-
tos taken by the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration/ Boeing Lunar
Orbiters. The spacecraft TV camera was
equipped with a,24-in. focal length lens
for high-resolution pictures, consider-
ably shorter than those used in military
reconnaissance satellites.
One Orbiter 5 photo, taken from ap-
proximately 100 mi., showed the narrow
track created by a rolling 15-ft. boulder.
Other photos, taken from 30 mi.
achieved 3-ft. resolutions. This would be
more than adequate in a military recon-
naissance satellite to detect signs of hu-
60 Approved For Release 2004/05/13 : CIA-RDP89BOOMOR0O3100640Q92A ogy. September 15, 1969
 r r roved Release 2004/05/1 A--RDR89B0 R00
IENTATIQN
RECOVERY
Technlr:,e of mid-air recovery of photo-reconnaissance satellite film pack, devised in the early 1960s using the Discoverer satel-
lites is a test bed, is still employed today. But the new generation of area surveillance spacecraft is expected to substitute real-
time television pictures which will be relayed via synchronous communications satellite.
man construction activity, such as the
preparation of a missile site.
The other basic problem of real-time
TV transmission from reconnaissance
satellites has been solved with the ad-
vent of the synchronous communica-
tions satellite which can handle TV
transmission bandwidths and remain
fixed over one earth position. Such
satellites not only can relay reconnais-
sance photos to U.S. ground stations
thousands of miles away, but they can
also enable ground operators to switch
the spacecraft camera to a different
focal length lens or to insert spectral
filters designed to penetrate camouflage.
If the relay satellite were parked in
an equatorial synchronous orbit over the
Indian Ocean, it would be within view
of reconnaissance satellites passing over
the Soviet Union and Communist China
except at very high latitudes. For the
polar situation, the relay satellite could
be placed in a slightly inclined syn-
chronous orbit to make a small figure-
eight ground-track and remain within
view of the reconnaissance satellite at
all times.
Below Synchronism
The Air Force launched a classified
satellite into such an orbit for the first
time on Aug. 6, 1968, using an Atlas/
Agena-D. The apogee is 24,769 mi., the
perigee is 19,686 mi., with an inclina-
tion of 9.9 deg., giving the satellite an
orbital period of 23.9 hr., slightly below
synchronism. This means that it slowly
drifts in longitude while making a figure-
eight ground track between 9.9 deg.
north and south latitude.
There is speculation that this satellite
may be a prototype intended to test the
real-time relay of reconnaissance space-
craft television photos. Another possi-
bility is that it is a prototype of a Midas-
type satellite, designed to provide early
warning of an ICBM attack. Conceiv-
ably, the spacecraft may be designed to
provide both functions.
Early Midas-type satellites operated
at about 2,000 mi., but their infrared
sensors were misled by sunlight reflect-
ing off high clouds.
TRW Systems is developing for the
USAF a new class of military space-
craft, identified as the 949 and known
as the Integrated Satellite. It reportedly
will provide multiple functions, includ-
ing ICBM early warning, nuclear explo-
sion detection (now performed by Vela
satellites) and possibly reconnaissance
photo relay service.
The TRW 949 is not likely to include
a photo-reconnaissance capability if it
operates at synchronous orbit altitudes,
as is expected, since this would require
a 200-fold increase in optical focal
length to match resolution now obtained
at 100 mi. But more insight into the new
satellite's mission will come with the
initial spacecraft launches, possibly dur-
ing the coming year.
The Air Force recently awarded a
contract to Philco-Ford to construct a
new satellite control station on Guam.
This western Pacific location would be
ideal to receive television photos from a
relay satellite positioned over the Indian
Ocean. Earlier, the Air Force had spon-
sored studies of a "satellite control satel-
lite," presumably a relay-type function,
at General Electric and TRW.
Lockheed Missiles & Space Co. has
RETR0 AND SPIN %a ROCKETS SEPARATE
PARACHUTE COVER\PLATE EJECTS
PARACHUT DEPLOYS
HEAT SHIELD EPARATES
(52,000 FT? MACH 0.88)
just announced that it is building a $1.5-
million anechoic chamber to test satellite
antennas with diameters of more than 30
ft. Antennas of such size would be
needed to receive wideband TV signals
from a low-powered transmitter in a
reconnaissance satellite.
Large-diameter spacecraft antennas
also would be useful in civil communica-
tions satellites, especially for direct
broadcast. But it seems unlikely that
Lockheed would make so large an in-
vestment solely in the hope that a civil
broadcast satellite market would develop
and that it could break the hold of
Hughes, Philco-Ford and TRW in the
communications satellite business.
Real-Time Reconnaissance
The first use of real-time television re-
connaissance can be expected as a re-
placement for the smaller area-surveil-
lance satellites, now launched by Long
Tank Thrust Augmented Thor/Agena
boosters. It is likely that film will con-
tinue to be used for the close-look, high-
resolution satellite pictures for some
time to come.
If the television-type surveillance
satellites can achieve sufficient reliability
to operate for a year or longer in orbit,
it will provide major savings in the cost
of military launchers and capsule re-
covery operations, in addition to slash-
ing overall response time.
The first indication that such real-time
TV reconnaissance has become opera-
tional will be the end of the launches of
the smaller photo satellites. As of now,
they are still being deployed.
The most recent launch occurred on
July 24.
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The DC-10
takes Goodyear's
total braking
systems
approach
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