(Redirected from Reconnaissance satellite)
KH-4B Corona satellite
Lacrosse radar spy satellite under construction
A 'spy satellite' (officially referred to as a 'reconnaissance satellite') is an
Earth observation satellite or
communications satellite deployed for
military or
intelligence applications. The first generation type (i.e.
Corona
[1]
[2]
and
Zenit) took photographs then ejected canisters of
photographic film, which would descend to earth. Corona capsules were
retrieved in mid-air as they floated down on
parachutes. Later spacecraft had digital imaging systems and downloaded the images via radio links.
In the
United States, the most information is available on programs that existed up to
1972. Some information about programs prior to that time is still
classified, and a small trickle of information is available on subsequent missions. A few up-to-date reconnaissance satellite images have been declassified on occasion, or leaked, as in the case of
KH-11 photographs which were sent to ''
Jane's Defence Weekly'' in
1985.
Origins
On
March 16,
1955, the
United States Air Force officially ordered the development of an advanced reconnaissance satellite to provide continuous surveillance of “preselected areas of the earth” in order “to determine the status of a potential enemy’s war-making capability.”
[3]
Missions
Examples of reconnaissance satellite missions:
★ High resolution photography (
IMINT)
★ Communications eavesdropping (
SIGINT)
★ Covert communications
★ Enforcement of
nuclear test bans (see
National Technical Means)
★ Detection of missile launches
Types
United States
★ Naval
ELINT:
★
★
GRAB
★
★
Poppy
★
★
Naval Ocean Surveillance System
★
Samos F
★ Molniya
SIGINT:
★
★
Jumpseat
★
★
Trumpet
★ Geosynchronous SIGINT:
★
★
Rhyolite/Aquacade
★
★
Magnum/Orion
★
★
Mentor
★ Air Force Geosynchronous SIGINT:
★
★
Canyon
★
★
Vortex/Chalet
★
★
Mercury
★
Lacrosse/Onyx (
RADINT)
★
Misty/
Zirconic
★
Quasar
★
Vela
★
Key Hole (KH) series of imaging satellites:
| Time period | Designation | Code name or Nickname | Optics | Notes |
|---|
| 1959–1962 | KH-1 to KH-3 | Corona | Resolution: 7.5 m
Focal length: 0.6 m | First series of US imaging spy satellites; photographs returned by film canister ejection. Each satellite carried a single panoramic camera. |
| 1960–1962 | – | Samos | Res: 30 to 1.5 m
Foc len: 0.7 to 1.83 m | Most flights used radio to relay images; some film returns; probably cancelled due to poor-quality imagery. |
| 1962-1963 | KH-4 | Corona | Resolution: 7.5 m | Film return. Two panoramic cameras. |
| 1963-1969 | KH-4A | Corona | Resolution: 2.75 m | Film return with two reentry vehicles and two panoramic cameras. Large volume of imagery. |
| 1967-1972 | KH-4B | Corona | Resolution: 1.8 m | Film return with two reentry vehicles and two panoramic cameras. |
| 1961–1964 | KH-5 | Argon | Res: 140 m
Foc len: 76 mm | Film return. Low-resolution, high coverage-area images used for mapping. |
| 1963 | KH-6 | Lanyard | Res: 1.8 m
Foc len: 1.67 m | Shortlived operation for imaging a specific site; used a camera from the Samos program; film return. |
| 1963–1967 | KH-7 | Gambit | Res: 0.46 m | Film return with single reentry vehicle per launch. |
| 1966–1984 | KH-8 | Gambit | Res: 0.5 m | Film return. |
| 1971–1986 | KH-9 | Hexagon
"Big Bird" | Res: 0.30 m | Film return with four or five reentry vehicles per launch. |
| cancelled | KH-10 | Dorian | | Manned Orbital Laboratory; space station based on Gemini program. |
| 1976–1995 | KH-11 | Crystal
Kennan | Res: 0.15 m
Mirror: 2.3 m | First known digital imaging spy satellite. Thought possibly to be similar in size and overall layout to the Hubble Space Telescope. |
| 1990—? | KH-12 | Ikon
Improved Crystal | Res: 0.15 to 0.10? m
Mirror: 2.4 to 4? m | Digital imaging; probably incorporates low light level visible and 3 to 5 micrometre infrared imaging capabilities; possible "live" intelligence gathering. |
| 1999—? | KH-13 | 8X? EIS? | Res: 0.10? to 0.04? m
Mirror: 4? m | Very little known; possibly includes radar imaging or maybe stealth technology. |
Soviet Union
★
Cosmos
★
RORSAT (under cover of Cosmos series)
[4].
Radar type powered by
Topaz nuclear reactors.
★
Almaz
★
Yantar
★
Zenit
China
★
Fanhui Shi Weixing
★
★ FSW-0
★
★ FSW-1
★
★ FSW-2
★
★ FSW-3
Germany
★
SAR-Lupe 1-5
France
★
Helios 1B (destroyed),
Helios 2A
United Kingdom
★
Zircon (cancelled in 1987)
India
★
Technology Experiment Satellite
Iran
★
Sinah-1
★
Mesbah (ready for launch)
Israel
★
Ofeq
Japan
★
Information Gathering Satellite
Egypt
★
EgyptSat 1[1]
★
EgyptSat 2 (planned)
★
DesertSat (planned end of 2007)
South Korea
★
Arirang-2
In fiction
Spy satellites are commonly seen in
spy fiction and
military fiction. Some works of fiction that focus specifically on spy satellites include:
★ ''
The OMAC Project''
References
1. Corona page at NRO
2. Corona page at NASA
3.
Into the Unknown Together - The DOD, NASA, and Early Spaceflight, , Mark, Erickson, , ,
4. Rorsat - Encyclopedia Astronautica
See also
★
National Reconnaissance Office
★
Defense Support Program
★
European Union Satellite Centre
★ ''
Enemy of the State (film)''
★
Atmospheric reentry
★
List of intelligence gathering disciplines
External links
★ http://www.fas.org/irp/imint/
★
Java 3D satellite tracker
★
GlobalSecurity.org: Imagery Intelligence
★
Iran to Launch first spy satellite
★ http://www.skyrocket.de/space/doc_sdat/egyptsat-1.htm
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