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~ATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE 

WASHINGTON, O.C. 

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BYEMAN 

I IIIIII IIIII IIIII IIIIIJ~ll~l~ijlJllilllll ai1i i1iii' 

OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR March 15, 1969 

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BYEMAN 

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MEMORANDUM FOR THE DIRECTOR, CIA RECONNAISSANCE PROGRAMS 

SUBJECT: FY 1969 Funding for· Readout Technology 

This is in reply to your memorandum of January 7, 1969 

and your message (PILOT 2763) of January 31, 1969, recommending increased levels of funding for readout technology programs. 

In response to the PSAC and the discussions at the 

EXCOM meeting of November 13, 1968 an increase in the 

level of FY 1969 funding for readout technology is being 

authorized. However, ·as I indicated at the EXCOM meeting, 

this increased funding is to be at a level not to exceed 

$2 million and is being divided between the readout technology programs of CIA/OSP and SAFSP. Accordingly, it has 

not been possible to fully fund all of the program expansions 

and additions which you have recommended. 

The December 19, 1968 memorandum report of the Land 

Panel to Dr. Hornig is being given heavy weight in the 

allocation of funds since half of the increased funding is 

being assigned to solid-state array efforts in spite of the 

fact that these are not currently the most promising concepts in terms of near-term overall system effectiveness 

and costs. It is recognized that major technical advances 

in the solid-state array technology may radically alter 

this situation. However, it is not possible to meet the 

Land Panel recommendations as to level of funding within 

FY 1969 budget constraints and the need to meet other NRO 

funding requirements. 

I am authorizing the release to CIA/OSP of $1 million 

for the purpose of accelerating and adding efforts in readout technology. It is intended that these funds be used 

entirely to augment efforts in solid state transducers 

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and directly associated efforts in optical systems and 

image processing studies. However, if you desire to 

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apply these funds to other areas of readout technology, 

please advise us prior to obligation of funds in order that 

we may assure complementarity with planned SAFSP programs. 

In this connection, I would like to rnake it clear at this 

time that, while CIA/OSP programs in this augmented FY 1969 

program are being recommended for concentration on· solidstate arrays and SAFSP programs in FY 1969 are concentrated 

on electron optical devices, there is no intention to make 

this a hard and fast division. In view of the uncertain 

status and potential rates of progress in new readout 

devices, it is desired to provide maximum, latitude to CIA/ 

OSP and SAFSP to explore a range of novel and promising 

approaches to readout technology. 

It is considered premature to proceed to system design 

or subsystem develqpment based on undemonstrated electrooptical components. System studies should be limited to 

effort necessary to define the ranges of parameters for 

electro-optical components. As indicated at the November 13, 

1968 EXCOM meeting (Budget Issue No. 9), funds are being 

programmed in FY 1970 to permit work to begin toward engineering models of components and brassboards and to initiate 

system conceptual design efforts starting about mid-FY 1970 

if component development warrants. 

Although the only operational requirements objectives . 

currently identified are those described in the COMIREX 

report of January 5, 1969 "Requirements for Image Forming 

·Satellite Reconnaissance Responsive to Warning/Indication 

Needs (USIB D-46.4/3 (COMIREX D-13.7/4) BYE 0002-68), 11 

at the present stage of advanced technology exploration 

it is not desired to limit pursuit of applied research in 

readout technology to only those concepts which would 

satisfy these particular requirements objectives. However, 

progress in the applied research and advanced technology 

programs will be monitored with a view toward identified 

specific components and concepts which have direct application to the COMIREX requirements objectives. A summary of 

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other potential capabilities and applications of satellite 

reconnaissance readout systems will be found in the NRO 

staff study "Satellite Image-Forming Reconnaissance Systems 

with Near Real-Time Return of Imagery", dated March 12, 1969. 

Alexander H. Flax 

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THE WHITE HOUSE 

WASHINGTON BYE 11,899/68 

October 21, 1968 This doct1ment consists 1J! _{_ M/l:,!lS 

No" _/_r,;f ._.z..J::qJias, ..• /1". 

Dear Al: 

Here is the report from the Land Panel on its October 2 meeting. 

I believe you and your staff have been aware of the substance of 

the Panel opinion and that they plan to look further into the trans -

ducer technology at another meeting. 

There seems to be some exciting opportunities in the offing and, as 

you see from my letter to Paul Nitze, I am asking that at our 

November 13 meeting we discuss how FY 1969 monies could be 

made available for additional sensor development and design studies 

if additional investigations by you and the Panel show that to be 

desirable. I also suggest that our FY 197 0 decisions allow the 

flexibility to put additional effort if necessary. 

Sincerely, 

Donald F. Hornig 

Special Assistant to the President 

for Science and Technology 

Ei1closures - BYE 11, 896/68, Cy #4 

BYE 11, 898/68, Cy #2 

Dr. Alexander H. Flax 

Assistant Secretary of the Air Force 

Washington, D. C. 20330 

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16 OCT 1968 BYE 11,896/68 

MEMORANDUM FOR: DR. DONALD F. HORNIG 

This documGnt t(lnsMs of ~ No. 4_,1il ...S:-Gopie$, Serles 

Since the beginning of the concept of satellite reconnaissance, the 

ultimate goal has been to give decision-makers an "on-call" capability to 

view any interesting area of the world in real time. Our dream has been, 

in effect, to "see it now." So far, however, technical limitations have 

forced us to compromise this goal. To get high resolution and reasonable 

area coverage we have had to use photographic film, physically recovered 

from orbit. In addition, short equipment operating lifetimes have been 

an economic barrier to keeping satellites in orbit continuously over the 

U.S.S.Ro and China. 

We have just reviewed the technology programs being sponsored under 

the National Reconnaissance Program by the Air Force and the CIA and we 

would like to let you know that the necessary technology for a "see it 

now" system has become available. From a technical standpoint, it will 

be possible within the next year or so to begin development of a system < 

of satellites which could view any location in the U.S.SoR. and China 

every J~w hours and send a high"qiiality (KH-7 like) image immediately 

to Washington. Here are the capabilities that have been developed over 

the past few years which now :make this a realistic expection: 

1. We have learned how to build satellite systems which can operate 

reliably for a year and more in space. Thus, we can confidently build an 

economical system which will have satellites over the Soviet Union and 

China every day, year after year. 

2. We have learned how to send great quantities of information 

very rapidly from satellites to the ground. This technology is immediately 

applicable to the relay of information from satellite to satellite. Thus, 

we can build a communication link which can immediately transmit a picture 

from a satellite over Russia or China directly to Washington. 

3. The technology of satellite electro-optical imaging ·systems has 

advanced to the point where we can foresee in the very near future the 

capability to view the ground with high resolution and in a manner which 

makes this image available for rapid and, with some systems, immediate 

transmission to the U. S. 

However, in order to be prepared for a system development decision 

within the next few years, it will be necessary to give priority attention 

and funding to the development of each of the several feasible imaging 

system alternatives and to studies of the optical and communication system 

characteristics that may be peculiar to each of •these approaches. The 

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imaging techniques that have potential for supporting a near term system 

decision are the following: 

a. A reusable electrostatic tape storage/electron beam scanner, 

funded by the Air Force at CBS Laboratories. 

b. A return beam vidicon system, proposed by the CIA but not now 

being funded. 

c. A line arrey of solid state detectors arranged in the image plane 

of the optical system, funded by the CIA at Fairchild and at TRW. 

All of these systems have advantages and disadvantages, but all 

have promise and -- in view of the tremendous potential of a real time surveillance system -- all should be funded at a level which will establish a 

basis for decision by, say late 1969. 

We are especially attracted to the solid state array which offers 

the possibility of building a simple solid system having no moving parts and 

no electron optics, with further possible advantages in redundancy and 

adaptability to optical designs exploiting curved fields. We intend to .investigate the solid state array and the return beam vidicon further, but 

our tentative opinion is that both these alternatives should be carried as 

rapidly as possible through advanced development of a transducer system, 

as we understand is planned and as we also recommend for the CBS electrostatic image camera. We estimate that all three of the approaches could be 

carried through to at least a critical technology feasibility demonstration 

within the next year. We also plan to investigate the possibility of a 

transducer which would use standard return-beam vidicons whose target would 

be a continuously-rotating drum of photoconductive material -- drum being 

"exposed" by the optical system on one side and "read out" by the vidicons 

on the other. 

With the potential gain so large, the panel is concerned that the 

present funding squeeze is diverting resources from these relatively inexpensive programs. As a result, two of the image system possibilities 

the solid state array and the vidicon -- are not being pushed along as 

rapidly as the technology would allow and the key demonstrations of 

feasibility have not been defined and scheduled to assure that within a 

year or so the data on which to make a system decision will be available. 

Furthermore, the panel is unanimous in feeling that the system studies 

in this area to date have lost sight of the ultimate goal, essentially 

instantaneous information~!!! always available sensor. The communication links suggested were, for example, of limited capacity even though 

current technology will support a system of sufficient bandwidth to handle 

all the information as it is produced. The computers on the other hand, 

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were unnecessarily ambitious, emphasizing light weight at the expense of 

reliability and long lifetime. As the Air Force and the CIA proceed with 

component engineering development and the necessary design analyses to define the parameters of other components of the system, it is important that 

the following system characteristics remain uncompromised until such time as 

a full-scale system development program is begun: 

1. Long life in orbit; therefore, long-lifetime components and highly 

redundant design. 

2. High-resolution imagery. 

3. Immediate transmission to the U.S. of all the information at the 

sensor at the rate at which it is produced. 

In addition, attention must be given to techniques for processing the 

data on the ground and displaying and recording it in a manner which will 

capitalize on the real time nature of the information. We saw no indication 

of any current activity to investigate technology relevant to this need. 

To meet our requirements of the future we will have to continue to 

use film-based systems to photograph large areas for search and get very high 

resolution for technical intelligence. The Hexagon and Gambit Cubed will 

provide this capability. Now the technology is nearly available to build a 

system which will provide the real time, always available surveillance 

which we have found to be so important and which Hexagon and Gambit cannot 

provide. The potential value of such a system is so great that all applicable 

technologies, component development and system studies should be funded concurrently and at a level adequate to allow system definition about a yea:r 

from now -- if necessary, at the expense of some current operating capability. 

The system that is finally selected will benefit by a wide participation by, 

and competition among governmental and industrial organizations and we suggest that both the CIA and the Air Force be given wide latitude to investigate 

system designs and trade-offs applicable to the sensor systems each has 

proposed and to recommend component development programs for them. 

Edwin H. Land 

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EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT 

OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLO<::iY 

WASHINGTON 

October 25, 1968 

MEMORANDUM FOR 

Colon~l Lew Allen, Jr., SAFSS 

Dr. Garwin has provided the following discussion of potential uses 

of linear arrays for TV scanning: 

''Although most TV pictures are produced these days by imaging a scene onto the photocathode of an image orthicon or a 

vidicon, a promising alternative would be to use an· array 

of photodiodes, each connected to an integrated-circuit capacitor, an integrated-circuit switch and thence to an output 

line. In this way, if the scene is scanned over the linear 

array by a single rotating mirror or by other. means, then 

the entire set of integrated circuits should be read out in 

the time that it takes one resolution element in the scanning 

direction to cross the linear array. Thus, if one wants I, 000-

line TV, with a frame rate on the order of one per second 

(suitable for many applications not involving entertainment) 

then each of the 1, 000 elements can be allowed to store charge 

for on the order of one millisecond, and a single serial output 

amplifier is switched at megacycle rates from one element 

to the'next. For this same frame rate, 100-line TV could 

accept one hundred microsecond switching times ·and 10 millisecond integrating times, while 10, 000 line TV would require 

10 nanosecond switching time and about 100 microsecond 

integrating times. 

"Bell Labs _Videophone has an array of about 500, 000 photodiodes rather than the usual electron-beam-scanned photocathode. 

With. the linear _array, as one improves the resolution, the 

required object brightness increases, if only because the 

allowable time for integrating the current varies in proportion to the number of resolution elements across the frame • 

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11 Thus, for high-resolution pictures it would be valuable to 

amplify the current in order that it can compete better with 

nobe in the individual transistor circuits and in the switching 

arrangement. This can be done without introducing significant noise by using avalanche photodiodes rather than ordinary photodiodes. Individual avalanche photodiodes are sold, 

for instance, by Texas Instruments, which have a quantum 

efficiency of 20 per cent and a normal gain of 200. The 

technology of making avalanche photodiodes seems entirely 

compatible with the standard integrated-circuit technology, 

and thus one should be able to work with scene brightness a 

factor 100 below those usable with ordinary photodiodes. 

"The one problem· which seems to exist with avalanche photodiodes is the necessity to use some kind of adaptive, gated, 

or adjusted biasing scheme for each photodiode, since the 

photocurrent gain is such a steep function of an applied voltage. 

Two possibilities are to trim tantalum film resistors or other 

types of resistors to an accuracy of the order of 0. 1 per cent 

to 1 per cent as Bell Labs does in their thick-film integrated 

. circuits, or alternatively, in the interval between frames, to 

expose the linear array to a uniform calibrating light pulse of 

substantial amplitude and to l.,lSe individual holding circuits for .. 

each of the avalanche photodiodes in or_der to set the applied 

voltage so· that a standard current re;ults from the calibrating 

pulse. 

"Some people at IBM Endicott (for example) have been producing 

arrays of 72 ordinary photodiodes. In measuring these photcrdi6d~s, r·.· 

the avalanche voltage has been found to vary from 8 to 15 volts, 

although of course these diodes were not produced for use as 

avalanche diodes and so this voltage was not purposely controlled. II r 

We would like to ask the qualified industrial contractors, with the above 

background discussion in mind, to prepare detailed technical papers 

which would treat three separate subjects: 

1. The performance of avalanche photodiode-integrated circuit 

arrays if avalanche photodiodes are feasible. 

2. An estimate of the feasibility of producing avalanche photodiodes and integrated circuits on the same chip. 

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3. A survey of possible sch,emes for trimming or adaptive 

biasing of the avalanche photodiodes, toget!ter with a tentative choice 

o:£ a method. -- ----

In addition, we would plan to ask the contractors to discuss these 

papers with the Panel in a November meeting. 

Donald H. Steininger 

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