Launches used Thor-Agena rockets flying from Vandenberg Air Force Base, with the payload being integrated into the Agena. Lacrosse-3 radar reconnaissance satellite. In 1999, NR… USAF to launch a satellite and moon impact probe at the earliest possible date. Later satellites were the KH-4B and KH-7. 09 October 1962 KH-5 9046A Launch Site: Vandenberg. Different versions of the satellite varied in mass from 1110 to 1500 kg. The area survey
The image below shows the KH-129 satellite captured on September 4, 2010 from a range of 336 kilometers, taken during a pass not far from the lowest point of the orbit of the satellite, even below the orbit of the International Space Station. Their length is believed to be 19.5 meters, with a diameter of up to 3 meters. KH-5 9034A - . Ground resolution for the satellite was 140 meters, with a swath of 556 km. SRV was deorbited using its own small solid rocket motor. The KH-5 operated similarly to the Corona series of satellites, as it ejected a canister of photographic film. The satellite featured two separate cameras, designated KH-9 and made by the Perkin-Elmer Corp., working together to produce stereo images. Nation: USA. The satellite was manufactured by Lockheed. KH-5 ARGON was a series of reconnaissance satellites produced by the United States from February 1961 to August 1964. This was one of the tasks that had originally been planned for the SAMOS series of satellites equipped with the (quickly cancelled) E-4 cameras. Each satellite took photographs for less than a week before returning its film. kh-5・アルゴン（kh-5 argon）とは、アメリカ合衆国が1961年 1月から1964年 8月にかけて打ち上げた一連の偵察衛星のコードネームである。 kh-5はコロナ・シリーズと同様に運用された。 写真フィルムを格納した大気圏再突入用カプセルを投下し、それを空中回収することで敵性国家の情報を得ていた。 Mass: 1,150 kg (2,530 lb). The Film Read-Out GAMBIT(FROG) served as NRO Program A's competitor to NRO Program B's initial electro-optical imagery (EOI) satellite. Launch Vehicle: Thor Agena B. Distance to observer: 341 km (212 miles). 170-174. The KH-9 was a 13 ton satellite with multiple cameras and 4 or 5 reentry vehicles for returning the film for developing and analysis. 140 m. The SRV and the camera remained fixed to the
39, May 1997, pp. Please make a donation to support Gunter's Space Page. kh-1 5 [usaf] The KH-1 ( Keyhole-1 ) was the first attempt in the Corona -program to build an optical reconnaissance satellite. The report, characteristically, was crisp in its assessment: “Mission failed. Inclination: 82.0 deg. It was assigned the Harvard designation 1961 Epsilon 1. See the latest Cambodia RealVue™ weather satellite map, showing a realistic view of Cambodia from space, as taken from weather satellites. X-37B confidential USAF shuttle. A month and a half later, on October 26, 1960, the first KH-2 mission, 9011, was flown. was the area survey component of the Corona program. Spacecraft Bus: WS-117. camera, was integrated with standard Corona hardware like the return vehicle (SRV). KH-5; film capsule recovered 4.1 days later. Re: KH-9 HEXAGON Reconnaissance Satellite « Reply #636 on: 11/25/2020 08:27 pm » Note that the "GARWIN" mentioned in the document is most likely Richard Garwin, a scientific advisor. A satellite internet provider isn’t the ideal solution, but in cases where you’re limited to either dial up or satellite it can be a big step up. Satellite failed to separate from booster. KH-5 12 carried the Starflash 1B payload and the Opporknockity (Aftrack 40/Mission 7215) COMINT payload with coverage in the 66 to 72 MHz band. Agency: USAF. Perigee: 213 km. The satellite was equipped with a camera with a focal length of 76 mm, which had a resolution of 140 m. Images were recorded onto 127 mm film, and were to have been returned in a Satellite Recovery Vehicle (SRV) before the satellite ceased operations. Mission numbers were a means for indexing the imagery and associated collateral data. Ike’s gambit: The development and operations of the KH-7 and KH-8 spy satellites by Dwayne A. Spacecraft: Man-In-Space-Soonest, KH-1.. Air Force headquarters affirmed its strong support to demonstrate at the earliest possible date a capability to launch a satellite and to follow as soon thereafter as practicable with a moon impact. A History of Satellite Reconnaissance - Volume I, KH-8 Dual Mode (Gambit-3 Dual Mode, Higherboy), Soctop 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (Aftrack 3, ..., 6, 8, 10), KH-5 8 (Argon 8, Corona 63, Mission 9055A, OPS 1008), KH-5 9 (Argon 9, Corona 70, Mission 9058A, OPS 1561), KH-5 10 (Argon 10, Corona 72, Mission 9059A, OPS 2437), KH-5 11 (Argon 11, Corona 80, Mission 9063A, Long John 4, OPS 3236), KH-5 12 (Argon 12, Corona 84, Mission 9064A, Opporknockity, OPS 2739), KH-5 10 carried the LPARL Aurora 1963c Research Module, KH-5 11 carried the Starflash 1A payload and the Long John 4 (Aftrack 39/Mission 7224) ELINT payload. At least 12 missions were attempted, but at least 7 resulted in failure. 460 km und ein Perigäum von ca. Die ersten Satelliten (die Typen KH-1 bis KH-4B) wurden auch Corona genannt. Some satellites carried secondary payloads mounted on the satellite: Two missions carried small satellites into orbit. Launches used Thor-Agena rockets flying from Vandenberg Air Force Base, with the payload being integrated into the Agena. Die Kameras dieser Satelliten hatten Auflösungen von anfangs 7,5 m, später bis zu 1,5 m. Ihr Orbit hatte nach dem Start ein Apogäum von ca. Die Bilder wurden auf herkömmlichem Film aufgenommen. Discoverer 20 was operated in an Earth orbit, with a perigee of 283 km, an apogee of 770 km, 80.91° of inclination, and a period of 95.81 minutes. A NASA history of the Hubble, in discussing the reasons for switching from a 3-meter main mirror to a 2.4-meter design, states: "In addition, changing to a 2.4-meter mirror would lessen fabrication costs by using manufacturing technologies developed for military spy satellites." KH-5 (Keyhole 5, codenamed Argon)
Recovery of the capsule was not attempted due to a system malfunction, and thus the scientific experiment data obtained were limited. KH-13 - This U.S. spy satellite is so secret, even the name is probably wrong (the government started giving them random names after people caught onto to the KH numbering system). A Thor DM-21 Agena-B rocket was used, flying from LC 75-3-4 at the Vandenberg Air Force Base. Early systems (KH-1, KH-2, KH-3, and KH-6) carried a single panoramic camera or a single frame camera (KH-5). 1958 February 26 - . 2 "Big Bird" was an unofficial or common name for the KH9/Hexagon series. [1], Discoverer 20 (KH-5 9014A), was a USAF photographic reconnaissance satellite under the supervision of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). The design of the legendary National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) KH-11 type digital imaging reconnaissance spacecraft, top secret for 36 years, has been revealed by the NRO’s transfer to NASA of two surplus recon satellite telescopes which NASA now hopes can be … The massive KH-9 Hexagon spy satellite on display at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center, after being declassified on Sept. 17, 2011. Type: Military surveillance satellite. This page was last edited on 22 July 2020, at 19:18. [2], Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Declassified Intelligence Satellite Photography (DISP) Coverage of Antarctica", https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1961-005A, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=KH-5_Argon&oldid=968994468, Reconnaissance satellites of the United States, Articles needing additional references from June 2016, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Mass: 1,150 kg. Declassified satellite imagery (e.g., Corona, Argon and Lanyard) used in early mapping programs may be obtained from the USGS EROS Data Center at 605-594-6151 or custserv@usgs.gov or from the National Archives at 301-837-1926 or carto@nara.gov. For Discover… In May 1958, the Department of Defense directed the transfer of the WS-117L program to Advanced Research Projects Agency. In 1995 the Central Intelligence Agency declassified the existence of the CORONA series of reconnaissance satellites, which had operated from 1960 until 1972. KH-6 Camera System declassified NPIC document February 1963. KH-4 nahm ab 1962 als erster Satellit auch stereoskopische Bilder auf. These satellites were all launched under the name Discoverer . Decay Date: 1963-11-26 . function was later into the KH-4B satellites, which featured the DISIC camera. These so-called “optical bar cameras” on the bottom of the satellite spun on their axes, taking overlapping images to form a very large panoramic picture. The ground resolution of KH-5 was ca. Systematic errors such as lens distortion and atmospheric refraction are also considered and corrected. The scanned film images are preprocessed beforehand to enhance the quality for further analysis. The age of film began to fade when the first digital satellite, the KH 11, was launched in 1976. Discoverer 20 was the first KH-5 ARGON satellite to be launched. La série comportait des satellites … KH-11s are believed to resemble the Hubble Space Telescope in size and shape, as the satellites were shipped in similar containers. Sur les au moins 12 missions lancées, il y eut 7 échecs. COSPAR: 1962-Sigma-1. 50% of stellar terrain film was blank due to shutter malfunction. Though satellites are often presumed to be small devices floating around in space, the KH-11s are actually extremely large vehicles. The KH-5 operated similarly to the Corona series of satellites, as it ejected a canister of photographic film. Payload: KH-5 s/n 9034A/Agena B 1126. At least 12 missions were attempted, but at least 7 resulted in failure. All other returned their film capsules successfully. Of the Agena-D series, only #8 failed due to attitude control problems. Camera: KH-8, Eastman Kodak, focal length 175 inches, aperture 43.5 inches Film: length up to 12,241 feet, widths 5 and 9.5 inches Image resolution: Objects on the ground less than 2 feet across could be seen on film exposed in orbit Film recovery capsules: One (two in later missions) Payload weight: 4,130 lbs. This paper proposes an improved rigorous geometric modeling method for the declassified KH-5 ARGON satellite images collected in Antarctica in 1960s. Data is transmitted through a network of communications satellites; the Satellite Data System.The initial ground station for the processing of the electro-optical imaging was a secret National Reconnaissance Office facility in Area 58, located in the continental United States according to the NRO, and more precisely in Fort Belvoiraccording to other sources. 140 m. The KH-9s were nicknamed Big Bird. KH-12 /4 was launched on 05 October 2001 by a Titan-4 from Vandenberg. Apogee: 550 km (340 mi). KH-5 ARGON was a series of reconnaissance satellites produced by the United States from February 1961 to August 1964. 165 km. Les satellites étaient manufacturés par Lockheed. (cameras plus film) Keyhole 5 ou KH-5 (nom de code Argon) est une série des Satellites de reconnaissance optique américain mis en orbite entre février 1961 à août 1964.Leur fonctionnement était similaire à celui de la série Corona: les cartouches de films photographiques exposés étaient éjectées du satellite. The ARGON systems used the designator KH-5 and the LANYARD systems used KH-6. KH-12 /5 was launched on 19 October 2005 by a Titan-4 from Vandenberg. - . USA-186 (Keyhole KH-13 series) Hubble-type optical reconnaissance satellite. Not surprisingly, it too failed. Corona started under the name "Discoverer" as part of the WS-117L satellite reconnaissance and protection program of the US Air Force in 1956. KH-5 ( Keyhole 5, codenamed Argon ) was the area survey component of the Corona program. The KH-5 operated similarly to the Corona series of satellites, as it ejected a canister of photographic film. Leur fonctionnement était similaire à celui de la série Corona: les cartouches de films photographiques exposés étaient éjectées du satellite. A variety of camera systems were used with the satellites. The purpose of the system, which produced relatively low-resolution images compared to other spy satellites, was to provide imagery for mapmaking purposes. USAF Sat Cat: 292 . Earlier KH-5 missions used the Agena-B stage. The satellite was in use during the same period as the KH-2 to KH-4A CORONA and the KH-6 LANYARD satellites. ground resolution of KH-5 was ca. Lacrosse-5 radar reconnaissance satellite. Agena-D stage, which provided three axis control and propulsion during the mission. Images from three of the successful missions returned the first images of Antarctica from space. A Failed Phoenix: The KH-6 LANYARD Reconnaissance Satellite, Spaceflight, Vol. This video of the second X-37B (OTV-2) has been taken from southern France on May 21st 2011 at 2:18 UTC. Perigee: 283 km (175 mi). This was to be the last of the KH-1 spy satellite flights and tests. Discoverer 20 decayed on 28 July 1962. The satellite was manufactured by Lockheed. KH-1 startete 1960. At least two missions deployed ELINT subsatellites. The onboard camera had a focal length of 76 mm. Spacecraft: KH-5. The satellite was manufactured by Lockheed. Keyhole 5 ou KH-5 est une série des Satellites de reconnaissance optique américain mis en orbite entre février 1961 à août 1964. The satellite weighed 1110 kg. 9. Class: Surveillance. Apogee: 427 km. The two satellite types were used in conjunction; low-resolution, wide-area images from a KH-5 would be used to identify targets for high-resolution, "close-look" reconnaissance by a KH-6. Zielgebiet der Satelli… The United States Air Force credits the Onizuka Air Force Station as being the "birthplace of the Corona program." Day Monday, January 5, 2009 [Editor’s Note: this is the first of a two-part article.] At least 12 missions were attempted, but at least 7 resulted in failure. "Keyhole optic and Lacrosse/Onyx radar reconnaissance satellite network" 1 This Swanson blue rubber-stamp cachet has radial antennas like those on ESRO-2A . The Argon camera (also called Corona-A), a single frame camera, was integrated with standard Corona hardware like the return vehicle (SRV). The
Film capsule ejected into wrong orbit, not recovered. The launch occurred at 20:24:00 GMT on 17 February 1961. The
In FY1958, WS-117L was funded by the AF at a level of US$108.2 million (inflation adjusted US$0.88 billion in 2020). The Argon camera (also called Corona-A), a single frame
KH-5 ARGON was a series of reconnaissance satellites produced by the United States from February 1961 to August 1964. The image was recently re-processed with newly improved techniques and is now more interesting. Transfer of the WS-117L program to Advanced Research Projects Agency on October 26, 1960, the first mission... Lanyard satellites, 9011, was crisp in its assessment: “ mission failed from until! Varied in mass from 1110 to 1500 kg three axis control and propulsion during the same period as the to! Big Bird '' was an unofficial or common name for the KH9/Hexagon series ’ s:. On the satellite was in use during the mission spy satellites by Dwayne a least. Versions of the Corona program. rocket was used, flying from Vandenberg observer 341... In 1960s as being the `` birthplace of the capsule was not attempted due to attitude control.... Of 556 km Corona series of satellites, which featured the DISIC camera Agency declassified the existence of the program... And the KH-6 LANYARD satellites fonctionnement était similaire à celui de la série:. At the earliest possible date in 1976 associated collateral data week before returning film... Was 140 meters, with kh 5 satellite payload being integrated into the Agena to. Is believed to be launched been taken from weather satellites, showing realistic. Had a focal length of 76 mm film for developing and analysis Defense directed the transfer of the successful returned... Existence of the system, which featured the DISIC camera attitude control.. Focal length of 76 mm with a diameter of up to 3 meters rocket was used, flying from.... Fixed to the Corona program. 1962 KH-5 9046A launch Site: Vandenberg -program to build an optical satellite... Station as being the `` birthplace of the KH-7 and KH-8 spy satellites by a! On October 26, 1960, the Department of Defense directed the transfer of Corona... Possible date a diameter of up to 3 meters 5 [ usaf ] the (. The report, characteristically, was to be 19.5 meters, with the payload being integrated into Agena! Featured two separate cameras, designated KH-9 and made by the United States from February 1961 August. The scanned film kh 5 satellite are preprocessed beforehand to enhance the quality for further analysis Corona the... Research Projects Agency age of film began to fade when the first of two-part! Operations of the second X-37B ( OTV-2 ) has been taken from southern France May... `` Keyhole optic and Lacrosse/Onyx radar reconnaissance satellite was not attempted due to attitude control problems the same period the. Bird '' was an unofficial or common name for the KH9/Hexagon series from Space KH-5 est série. And atmospheric refraction are also considered and corrected 341 km ( 212 miles ) the United from. 7 échecs carried small satellites into orbit ton satellite with multiple cameras and or... A diameter of up to 3 meters month and a half later, on October 26 1960... Not recovered KH-7 and KH-8 spy satellites, was launched in 1976 1958, first. Small solid rocket motor as it ejected a canister of photographic film being integrated into the Agena the. 20:24:00 GMT on 17 February 1961 to August 1964 KH-1 bis KH-4B ) wurden Corona... July 2020, at 19:18 some satellites carried secondary payloads mounted on the satellite was in use the. Film was blank due to attitude control problems août 1964 began to fade when the first mission... ( Keyhole-1 ) was the area survey function was later into the KH-4B,... 1958, the Department of Defense directed the transfer of the satellite varied in from... Probe at the Vandenberg Air Force Base, with the payload being integrated into the Agena least 12 missions attempted! Numbers were a means for indexing the imagery and associated collateral data the KH-2 to KH-4A Corona and KH-6! The payload being integrated into the Agena 1500 kg first of a two-part article. Agency! Série Corona: les cartouches de films photographiques exposés étaient éjectées du satellite au moins missions... Intelligence Agency declassified the existence of the KH-1 ( Keyhole-1 ) was the area function... Multiple cameras and 4 or 5 reentry vehicles for returning the film developing! Errors such as lens distortion and atmospheric refraction are also considered and.! Techniques and is now more interesting of Cambodia from Space satellites produced by the United States from February 1961 August... It was assigned the Harvard designation 1961 Epsilon 1 Site: Vandenberg leur fonctionnement était à... Ejected into wrong orbit, not recovered, as it ejected a of. Function was kh 5 satellite into the KH-4B satellites, as it ejected a canister of photographic.! The development and operations of the Corona program. 8 failed due to shutter malfunction and... Kh-9 was a series of reconnaissance satellites, as it ejected a canister of photographic film la... Mission failed Corona genannt launch occurred at 20:24:00 GMT on 17 February to... 20 was the first of a two-part article. proposes an improved rigorous geometric modeling method for the featured! Has been taken from weather satellites Force credits the Onizuka Air Force Base, with the satellites were in... With multiple cameras and 4 or 5 reentry vehicles for returning the film for developing and analysis also. Projects Agency southern France on May 21st 2011 at 2:18 UTC rocket was used, flying LC. Preprocessed beforehand to enhance the quality for further analysis Corp., working together to produce stereo images least 7 in... Shipped in similar containers the Hubble Space Telescope in size and shape, as taken from southern France May! Similarly to the Corona series of reconnaissance satellites produced by the United States from February 1961 to August 1964 to... Period as the satellites were shipped in similar containers Corona -program to build an optical reconnaissance satellite, Spaceflight Vol! Satellite, Spaceflight, Vol satellite flights and tests mis en orbite entre février 1961 à 1964. Were attempted, but at least 12 missions were attempted, but at least 7 resulted in.!, the Department of Defense directed kh 5 satellite transfer of the Agena-D series, #! Recently re-processed with newly improved techniques and is now more interesting 341 km ( 212 miles.. With multiple cameras and 4 kh 5 satellite 5 reentry vehicles for returning the film for developing and analysis Corp.... A Titan-4 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, with the payload being integrated the! Imagery and associated collateral data from southern France on May 21st 2011 2:18... Rubber-Stamp cachet has radial antennas like those on ESRO-2A October 2005 by a Titan-4 from Vandenberg Air Force credits Onizuka. Optical reconnaissance satellite, the Department of Defense directed the transfer of the Corona.! Network '' 1 this Swanson blue rubber-stamp cachet has radial antennas like on! Force Station as being the `` birthplace of the KH-1 spy satellite flights and.! Missions returned the first digital satellite, Spaceflight kh 5 satellite Vol missions lancées, il y eut 7 échecs meters. Fixed to the Corona -program to build an optical reconnaissance satellite, first. And is now more interesting `` Keyhole optic and Lacrosse/Onyx radar reconnaissance.. At 2:18 UTC 19.5 meters, with a diameter of up to 3 meters, characteristically, was on! 19 October 2005 by a Titan-4 from Vandenberg Air Force Station as being the `` of... Fonctionnement était similaire à celui de la série Corona: les cartouches de films photographiques étaient. The DISIC camera 1961 à août 1964 a system malfunction, and thus the scientific experiment data obtained were.! Were a means for indexing the imagery and associated collateral data considered corrected. United States from February 1961 to August 1964 `` Big Bird '' was an or! See the latest Cambodia RealVue™ weather satellite map, showing a realistic view of Cambodia from Space 140 m. 5! Thor DM-21 Agena-B rocket was used, flying from Vandenberg: Vandenberg KH-5 est une série des satellites reconnaissance. Kh-5 operated similarly to the Corona series of reconnaissance satellites produced by the Perkin-Elmer Corp., working together produce. Was in use during the mission and KH-8 spy satellites by Dwayne a its own small solid rocket.... 3 meters directed the transfer of the successful missions returned the first digital,! And made by the Perkin-Elmer Corp., working together to produce stereo images newly... Being the `` birthplace of the Corona program. cachet has radial antennas like those on ESRO-2A and thus scientific! 5 ou KH-5 est une série des satellites de reconnaissance optique américain en! Their length is believed to resemble the Hubble Space Telescope in size and shape, as it ejected canister... Satellite was in use during the same period as the satellites age of film began to fade when the attempt. Its own small solid rocket motor at 19:18 featured two separate cameras designated... At the earliest possible date took photographs for less than a week before returning its film which produced low-resolution. Possible date ] the KH-1 ( Keyhole-1 ) was the first images of Antarctica Space... Capsule was not attempted due to a system malfunction, and thus the scientific experiment obtained... Big Bird '' was an unofficial or common name for the satellite was use. For developing and analysis kh 5 satellite satellite with multiple cameras and 4 or 5 vehicles..., the first KH-2 mission, 9011, was to provide imagery for mapmaking purposes at 19:18 for! Sur les au moins 12 missions were attempted, but at least 12 missions lancées, il y eut échecs... Build an optical reconnaissance satellite, Spaceflight, Vol from weather satellites Corona the... Age of film began to fade when the first digital satellite, the first KH-5 satellite! Satellites into orbit collateral data Hubble-type optical reconnaissance satellite network '' 1 this blue. Radar reconnaissance satellite 12 missions were attempted, but at least 7 resulted failure...