KH-7
Encyclopedia
Codenamed Gambit, the KH-7 (Air Force Program 206) was a reconnaissance satellite used by the United States
from July 1963 to June 1967. Like the older CORONA
system, it acquired imagery intelligence by taking photographs and returning the undeveloped film to earth. It achieved a typical ground-resolution of 2 ft (0.6096 m) to 3 ft (0.9144 m). Though most of the imagery from the KH-7 satellites was declassified in 2002, details of the satellite program (and the satellite's construction) remained classified till 2011.
In the strip camera the ground image is reflected by a steerable flat mirror to a 1.21 m (47.6 in) diameter stationary concave
primary mirror. The primary mirror reflects the light through an opening in the flat mirror and through a Ross corrector
. It took images of a 6.3 degree wide ground swath by exposing a 22 cm (8.7 in) wide moving portion of film through a small slit aperture. The initial ground resolution
of the satellite was 1.2 meters (4 ft), but improved to 0.6 m (2 ft) by 1966. Each satellite weighed about 2000 kg, and returned a single film bucket per mission. The KH-7 was manufactured by Lockheed
. The camera and film transport system were manufactured by Eastman Kodak Company.
The index camera is a copy of cameras systems previously used in the KH-4 and KH-6 satellites, and takes exposures of Earth in direction of the vehicle roll position for attitude determination. The stellar camera takes images of star fields with a reseau grid being superimposed on the image plane. The S/I camera was provided by Itek
, are horizon sensors were provided by Barnes Engineering Co.
.
, which became part of Vandenberg Air Force Base
in July 1964. KH-7 satellites flew 38 missions, numbered 4001-4038, of which 34 returned film, and of these, 30 returned usable imagery. Mission duration was 1 to 8 days. KH-7 satellites logged a total of almost 170 operational days in orbit.
, and copies of the films were transferred to the U.S. Geological Survey's Earth Resources Observation Systems office. Approximately 100 frames covering the state of Israel
remain classified.
The later KH-8
also used the Gambit codename.
(NSSDC ID Numbers: See COSPAR
)
In early 1963, the GAMBIT program began with failures. The first test launch was in May 1963 with an Atlas-Agena D
launch vehicle on a pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base
. The non-operational payload simulating a GAMBIT satellite was atop the Atlas and failed its launch with an accident.
The first successful GAMBIT mission was launched on July 12, 1963. Another Atlas-Agena D was used at Vandenberg. The Atlas rocket performed properly and when the fuel was exhausted it fell into the Pacific Ocean
south of Vandenberg. The Agena’s Bell second-stage rocket engine then fired and put Gambit into polar orbit with a 102-mile (189 kilometers) altitude. The Air Force designated this mission number 4001.
Aerospace Corporation recommended that, during GAMBIT’s first flights, the Orbital Control Vehicle (OCV) should remain attached to the Agena. This was a proven successful process for other Agena tests; and whereas the OCV was not. This decision limited GAMBIT's functionality, meaning that photographs could only be taken of targets directly below the vehicle. Once the successful photographic phase of the mission 4002 was completed, the OVC and the Agena was separated and the reentry vehicle would come down into the ocean northwest of Hawaii
. The re-entry vehicle was caught in mid-air with a C-130 Hercules
aircraft. The film canister was then immedidately transported to Eastman Kodak
's Hawkeye facility in Rochester, New York
for processing. The developed results was sent to USAF imagery research analysts in Washington, DC.
GAMBIT mission 4003, was successfully launched on October 25, 1963. The film canister was again ejected successfully after the photographic phase and the capsule recovered by an aircraft. Other tests was carried out with the OCV.
GAMBIT mission 4004 was successfully launched and film canister recovered on December 18, 1963. Missions 4005 thru 4007 were also successful.
In May 1964 mission 4008 suffered major problems when the Agena did an unexplained roll during the boost phase. Even with OCV system problems, the film canister was able to return some imagery.
A variety of problems occurred with many of the remaining missions, with 2 ending with complete failure, and some with satellite placement but no imagery returned.
The KH-7 GAMBIT was an overall success, even with some failures; thus providing National Reconnaissance Office
and the President with quality intelligence collection. Following KH projects had greatly improved major upgrades in the spacecraft and its camera systems.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from July 1963 to June 1967. Like the older CORONA
Corona
A corona is a type of plasma "atmosphere" of the Sun or other celestial body, extending millions of kilometers into space, most easily seen during a total solar eclipse, but also observable in a coronagraph...
system, it acquired imagery intelligence by taking photographs and returning the undeveloped film to earth. It achieved a typical ground-resolution of 2 ft (0.6096 m) to 3 ft (0.9144 m). Though most of the imagery from the KH-7 satellites was declassified in 2002, details of the satellite program (and the satellite's construction) remained classified till 2011.
System Configuration
A feasibility study for the Geodesic Optical Photographic Satellite System reveals three subsystems for US optical reconnaissance satellites in the 1960s: the Orbital (or Orbiting) Control Vehicle (OCV), the Data Collection Module (DCM), and the Recovery Section (RS). For the KH-7, the DCM is also called the Camera Optics Module (COM), and is integrated in the OCV, which has a length of 5.5 m (18 ft) and a diameter of 1.52 m (5 ft).Camera Optics Module
The Camera Optics Module of KH-7 consists of three cameras: a single strip camera, a stellar camera, and an index camera.In the strip camera the ground image is reflected by a steerable flat mirror to a 1.21 m (47.6 in) diameter stationary concave
Concave
The word concave means curving in or hollowed inward, as opposed to convex. The former may be used in reference to:* Concave lens, a lens with inward-curving surfaces.* Concave polygon, a polygon which is not convex....
primary mirror. The primary mirror reflects the light through an opening in the flat mirror and through a Ross corrector
Ross (optics)
Ross is the name of a succession of London-based lens designers and their company.Andrew Ross founded his company in 1830, from 1840 he began producing camera lenses signed "A. Ross"...
. It took images of a 6.3 degree wide ground swath by exposing a 22 cm (8.7 in) wide moving portion of film through a small slit aperture. The initial ground resolution
NIIRS
The National Imagery Interpretability Rating Scale is a subjective scale used for rating the quality of imagery acquired from various types of imaging systems. The NIIRS defines different levels of image quality/interpretability based on the types of tasks an analyst can perform with images of a...
of the satellite was 1.2 meters (4 ft), but improved to 0.6 m (2 ft) by 1966. Each satellite weighed about 2000 kg, and returned a single film bucket per mission. The KH-7 was manufactured by Lockheed
Lockheed Corporation
The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
. The camera and film transport system were manufactured by Eastman Kodak Company.
The index camera is a copy of cameras systems previously used in the KH-4 and KH-6 satellites, and takes exposures of Earth in direction of the vehicle roll position for attitude determination. The stellar camera takes images of star fields with a reseau grid being superimposed on the image plane. The S/I camera was provided by Itek
Itek
Itek Corporation was a US defense contractor that initially specialized in the field of camera systems for spy satellites. In the early 1960s they built a conglomerate in a fashion similar to LTV or Litton, during which time they developed the first CAD system and explored optical disk technology...
, are horizon sensors were provided by Barnes Engineering Co.
Orbital Control Vehicle and Recovery Vehicle
The primary contractor for the Orbital Control Vehicle and the Recovery Vehicle was General ElectricGeneral Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
.
Mission
All KH-7 satellites were launched from Point ArguelloPoint Arguello
Point Arguello is a headland used as a launch site by the United States Navy. Point Arguello was first used in 1959 for the launch of military and sounding rockets. It was transferred to the United States Air Force in 1964, at which time it became part of Vandenberg Air Force Base.There were 6...
, which became part of Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northwest of Lompoc, California. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command ....
in July 1964. KH-7 satellites flew 38 missions, numbered 4001-4038, of which 34 returned film, and of these, 30 returned usable imagery. Mission duration was 1 to 8 days. KH-7 satellites logged a total of almost 170 operational days in orbit.
Functionality
A high-resolution instrument, the KH-7 took detailed pictures of "hot spots" and most of its photographs are of Chinese and Soviet nuclear and missile installations, with smaller amounts of coverage of cities and harbors. Most of the imagery from this camera, amounting to 19,000 images, was declassified in 2002 as a result of Executive order 12951, the same order which declassified CORONACorona
A corona is a type of plasma "atmosphere" of the Sun or other celestial body, extending millions of kilometers into space, most easily seen during a total solar eclipse, but also observable in a coronagraph...
, and copies of the films were transferred to the U.S. Geological Survey's Earth Resources Observation Systems office. Approximately 100 frames covering the state of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
remain classified.
The later KH-8
KH-8
The KH-8, codenamed Gambit 3 was a long-lived series of reconnaissance satellites of the "Key Hole" series used by the United States from July 1966 to April 1984, and also known as Low Altitude Surveillance Platform. The satellite ejected canisters of photographic film that were retrieved as they...
also used the Gambit codename.
ELINT subsatellite
Mission 4009 included an ELINT P-11 subsatellite for radar monitoring, which was launched into a higher orbit.List of launches
| Name | Mission No. | Launch Date | Alt. Name | NSSDC ID No. | Launch Vehicle | Perigee Perigee Perigee is the point at which an object makes its closest approach to the Earth.. Often the term is used in a broader sense to define the point in an orbit where the orbiting body is closest to the body it orbits. The opposite is the apogee, the farthest or highest point.The Greek prefix "peri"... (km) |
Apogee (km) | Inclination (deg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KH7-1 | 4001 | 1963-07-12 | OPS-1467 | 1963-028A | Atlas Agena D | 164 | 164 | 95.4 |
| KH7-2 | 4002 | 1963-09-06 | OPS-1947 | 1963-036A | Atlas Agena D | 168 | 263 | 94.4 |
| KH7-3 | 4003 | 1963-10-25 | OPS-2196 | 1963-041A | Atlas Agena D | 144 | 332 | 99.1 |
| KH7-4 | 4004 | 1963-12-18 | OPS-2372 | 1963-051A | Atlas Agena D | 122 | 266 | 97.9 |
| KH7-5 | 4005 | 1964-02-25 | OPS-2423 | 1964-009A | Atlas Agena D | 173 | 190 | 95.7 |
| KH7-6 | 4006 | 1964-03-11 | OPS-3435 | 1964-012A | Atlas Agena D | 163 | 203 | 95.8 |
| KH7-7 | 4007 | 1964-04-23 | OPS-3743 | 1964-020A | Atlas Agena D | 150 | 366 | 103.6 |
| KH7-8 | 4008 | 1964-05-19 | OPS-3592 | 1964-024A | Atlas Agena D | 141 | 380 | 101.1 |
| KH7-9 | 4009 | 1964-07-06 | OPS-3684 | 1964-036A | Atlas Agena D | 121 | 346 | 92.9 |
| KH7-10 | 4010 | 1964-08-14 | OPS-3802 | 1964-045A | SLV-3 Agena D | 149 | 307 | 95.5 |
| KH7-11 | 4011 | 1964-09-23 | OPS-4262 | 1964-058A | SLV-3 Agena D | 145 | 303 | 92.9 |
| KH7-12 | 4012 | 1964-10-08 | OPS-4036 | 1964-F11 | SLV-3 Agena D | --- | --- | --- |
| KH7-13 | 4013 | 1964-10-23 | OPS-4384 | 1964-068A | Atlas Agena D | 139 | 271 | 88.6 |
| KH7-14 | 4014 | 1964-12-04 | OPS-4439 | 1964-079A | SLV-3 Agena D | 158 | 357 | 97 |
| KH7-15 | 4015 | 1965-01-23 | OPS-4703 | 1965-005A | SLV-3 Agena D | 146 | 291 | 102.5 |
| KH7-16 | 4016 | 1965-03-12 | OPS-4920 | 1965-019A | SLV-3 Agena D | 93 | 155 | 0.0 |
| KH7-17 | 4017 | 1965-04-28 | OPS-4983 | 1965-031A | SLV-3 Agena D | 180 | 259 | 95.7 |
| KH7-18 | 4018 | 1965-05-27 | OPS-5236 | 1965-041A | SLV-3 Agena D | 149 | 267 | 95.8 |
| KH7-19 | 4019 | 1965-06-25 | OPS-5501 | 1965-050B | SLV-3 Agena D | 151 | 283 | 107.6 |
| KH7-20 | 4020 | 1965-07-12 | OPS-5810 | 1965-F07 | SLV-3 Agena D | --- | --- | --- |
| KH7-21 | 4021 | 1965-08-03 | OPS-5698 | 1965-062A | SLV-3 Agena D | 149 | 307 | 107.5 |
| KH7-22 | 4022 | 1965-09-30 | OPS-7208 | 1965-076A | SLV-3 Agena D | 98 | 164 | 95.6 |
| KH7-23 | 4023 | 1965-11-08 | OPS-6232 | 1965-090B | SLV-3 Agena D | 145 | 277 | 93.9 |
| KH7-24 | 4024 | 1966-01-19 | OPS-7253 | 1966-002A | SLV-3 Agena D | 150 | 269 | 93.9 |
| KH7-25 | 4025 | 1966-02-15 | OPS-1184 | 1966-012A | SLV-3 Agena D | 148 | 293 | 96.5 |
| KH7-26 | 4026 | 1966-03-18 | OPS-0879 | 1966-022A | SLV-3 Agena D | 162 | 208 | 101 |
| KH7-27 | 4027 | 1966-04-19 | OPS-0910 | 1966-032A | SLV-3 Agena D | 139 | 312 | 116.9 |
| KH7-28 | 4028 | 1966-05-14 | OPS-1950 | 1966-039A | SLV-3 Agena D | 133 | 358 | 10.5 |
| KH7-29 | 4029 | 1966-06-03 | OPS-1577 | 1966-048A | SLV-3 Agena D | 143 | 288 | 86.9 |
| KH7-30 | 4030 | 1966-07-12 | OPS-1850 | 1966-062A | SLV-3 Agena D | 137 | 236 | 95.5 |
| KH7-31 | 4031 | 1966-08-16 | OPS-1832 | 1966-074A | SLV-3 Agena D | 146 | 358 | 93.3 |
| KH7-32 | 4032 | 1966-09-16 | OPS-1686 | 1966-083A | SLV-3 Agena D | 148 | 333 | 93.9 |
| KH7-33 | 4033 | 1966-10-12 | OPS-2055 | 1966-090A | SLV-3 Agena D | 155 | 287 | 91 |
| KH7-34 | 4034 | 1966-11-02 | OPS-2070 | 1966-098A | SLV-3 Agena D | 159 | 305 | 91 |
| KH7-35 | 4035 | 1966-12-05 | OPS-1890 | 1966-109A | SLV-3 Agena D | 137 | 388 | 104.6 |
| KH7-36 | 4036 | 1967-02-02 | OPS-4399 | 1967-007A | SLV-3 Agena D | 136 | 357 | 102.4 |
| KH7-37 | 4037 | 1967-05-22 | OPS-4321 | 1967-050A | SLV-3 Agena D | 135 | 293 | 91.5 |
| KH7-38 | 4038 | 1967-06-04 | OPS-4360 | 1967-055A | SLV-3 Agena D | 149 | 456 | 104.8 |
(NSSDC ID Numbers: See COSPAR
COSPAR
The Committee on Space Research was established by the International Council for Science in 1958.Among COSPAR's objectives are the promotion of scientific research in space on an international level, with emphasis on the free exchange of results, information, and opinions, and providing a forum,...
)
History
- Section source: Space Review
In early 1963, the GAMBIT program began with failures. The first test launch was in May 1963 with an Atlas-Agena D
Atlas-Agena
The Atlas-Agena was an American expendable launch system derived from the SM-65 Atlas missile. It was a member of the Atlas family of rockets, and was used for 119 orbital launches between 1960 and 1978....
launch vehicle on a pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northwest of Lompoc, California. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command ....
. The non-operational payload simulating a GAMBIT satellite was atop the Atlas and failed its launch with an accident.
The first successful GAMBIT mission was launched on July 12, 1963. Another Atlas-Agena D was used at Vandenberg. The Atlas rocket performed properly and when the fuel was exhausted it fell into the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
south of Vandenberg. The Agena’s Bell second-stage rocket engine then fired and put Gambit into polar orbit with a 102-mile (189 kilometers) altitude. The Air Force designated this mission number 4001.
Aerospace Corporation recommended that, during GAMBIT’s first flights, the Orbital Control Vehicle (OCV) should remain attached to the Agena. This was a proven successful process for other Agena tests; and whereas the OCV was not. This decision limited GAMBIT's functionality, meaning that photographs could only be taken of targets directly below the vehicle. Once the successful photographic phase of the mission 4002 was completed, the OVC and the Agena was separated and the reentry vehicle would come down into the ocean northwest of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. The re-entry vehicle was caught in mid-air with a C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
aircraft. The film canister was then immedidately transported to Eastman Kodak
Eastman Kodak
Eastman Kodak Company is a multinational imaging and photographic equipment, materials and services company headquarted in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded by George Eastman in 1892....
's Hawkeye facility in Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
for processing. The developed results was sent to USAF imagery research analysts in Washington, DC.
GAMBIT mission 4003, was successfully launched on October 25, 1963. The film canister was again ejected successfully after the photographic phase and the capsule recovered by an aircraft. Other tests was carried out with the OCV.
GAMBIT mission 4004 was successfully launched and film canister recovered on December 18, 1963. Missions 4005 thru 4007 were also successful.
In May 1964 mission 4008 suffered major problems when the Agena did an unexplained roll during the boost phase. Even with OCV system problems, the film canister was able to return some imagery.
A variety of problems occurred with many of the remaining missions, with 2 ending with complete failure, and some with satellite placement but no imagery returned.
The KH-7 GAMBIT was an overall success, even with some failures; thus providing National Reconnaissance Office
National Reconnaissance Office
The National Reconnaissance Office , located in Chantilly, Virginia, is one of the 16 U.S. intelligence agencies. It designs, builds, and operates the spy satellites of the United States government.-Mission:...
and the President with quality intelligence collection. Following KH projects had greatly improved major upgrades in the spacecraft and its camera systems.
Cost
The total cost of the 38 flight KH-7 program from FY1963 to FY1967, without non-recurring costs, and excluding five GAMBIT cameras sold to NASA, was US$ 651.4 million in 1963 dollars (inflation adjusted US$ billion present day). Non-recurring costs for industrial facilities, development, and one-time support amounted to 24.3% of the total program cost, or US$ 209.1 million. The resulting total program costs were US$ 860.5 million in 1963 dollars (inflation adjusted US$ billion present day).Other U.S. imaging spy satellites
- CoronaCorona (satellite)The Corona program was a series of American strategic reconnaissance satellites produced and operated by the Central Intelligence Agency Directorate of Science & Technology with substantial assistance from the U.S. Air Force...
series: KH-1, KH-2, KH-3, KH-4 - KH-5KH-5KH-5 ARGON was a series of reconnaissance satellites produced by the United States from February 1961 to August 1964. The KH-5 operated similarly to the Corona series of satellites, as it ejected a canister of photographic film. At least 12 missions were attempted, but at least 7 resulted in...
ARGON, KH-6KH-6Codenamed Lanyard, the KH-6 was the unsuccessful first attempt to develop and deploy a high-resolution optical reconnaissance satellite by the United States National Reconnaissance Office. Launches and launch attempts spanned the period from March to July 1963. The project was quickly put together...
LANYARD - KH-7 and KH-8KH-8The KH-8, codenamed Gambit 3 was a long-lived series of reconnaissance satellites of the "Key Hole" series used by the United States from July 1966 to April 1984, and also known as Low Altitude Surveillance Platform. The satellite ejected canisters of photographic film that were retrieved as they...
GAMBIT - KH-9 HEXAGON "Big Bird"
- KH-10 -- MOLManned Orbiting LaboratoryThe Manned Orbiting Laboratory , originally referred to as the Manned Orbital Laboratory, was part of the United States Air Force's manned spaceflight program, a successor to the cancelled Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar military reconnaissance space plane project...
- KH-11KH-11The KH-11 KENNAN, renamed CRYSTAL in 1982 and also referenced by the codenames 1010, and "Key Hole", is a type of reconnaissance satellite launched by the American National Reconnaissance Office since December 1976...
External links
- US Geological Survey Satellite Images: Photographic imagery from KH-7 Surveillance and KH-9 Mapping system (1963 to 1980).