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CORONA N pe- /4), - • act&

6 3 . go4441,4„.;

The CORONA X (R-7) program provides a capability for 40;

the lainch of previously unscheduled general search satellites

during times of tension or emergency. Of a total of six

systems procured, one will be maintained on its pad at Rp.7

day condition while a second is between Re-15 and R-7 condition.

The remaining four systems provide the refire capability.

Two standard CORONA 24" focal length f3.5 panoramic

cameras, mounted at 300 convergent angle, provide continuous

stereoscopic photography at 10-13 ft nominal ground resolution.

Each camera. carries 7800' of 70 ma thin base film which

dput

provides_ miles (naut) of coverage. In

addition framing and stellar cameras are carried to enhance

the use of the panoramic photography.

This program uses the standard recovery capsule, AMA

satellite, THOR booster combination. -Primary means of

recovery after four days on orbit operation is by aerial

etrieval near Hawaii. Surface recovery aids are available

as backup if required.

Twenty-three CORONA I's have been launched since

February 1962 and 19 have been recovered.

CORONA J 

•

The CORONA J program adds a dual'recovery capability to

standard CORONA MURAL general search system doubliig the

film capacity of the system and moviding.up to 30 days between

launch and recovery of the second capsule. After

• 

four days

of active operation and firpt capsule re • tellite

•

. •
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can be put-to-sleep for up to 22 days. It is reactivated

on command from the ground for a second four day photographic

operation and a second recovery.

The standard CORONA payload - two 24" f3.5 panoramic

cameras mounted at 300 convergent angle provide continuous

stereo photography of 10-13' nominal resolution. Total film

load for each camera is 15,600'. Framing and stellar cameras

are carried.

The weight of two recovery capsules, camera payload and

AMA requires the use of the improved THOR Booster - the

standard THOR with three solid rockets of 52,000 lbs. thrust

strapped on - to get into orbit. This booster has had nine

launches with eight successes.

The J system is still in the RBD phase. On the two

launches, to date the first recoveries have been successful

but the second ones have not due to malfunctions in peripheral

hardware.

The R&D phase will consist of three launches; the

"operational" program provides twelve launches per year in

FY 1964 through 1969.

The CORONA J (R-7) program provides the emergency launch

capability of dual recovery payloads on improved MORS in

the same manner as described in the CORONA (R-7) program. A

total of three launches is provided.
. Lo:_;:eOspik ,

LANYARD

The LANYARD program provides 5 • ground resolution stereo

photography using a 66" focal length optical system.

The first two launcheC . ,-in FY 1963, failed due to malfunctionsin the AMA. The third in NY 1964 was successful

and returned photography which approached the design goal.

ARGON is a photographic project for geodetic and mapping

purposes. It consists of a 3" focal length frame-type terrain

camera of high geometric fidelity, supplemented by a 3" focal

length stellar camera, both recording images on a single roll

of 5" film. The terrain camera capacity is 6000 photographs

(235 z 235 nm format) covering 166 million square miles in a

4-day mission. Stereo is provided by overlap in the, photographs.

.Expected positional accuracy obtainable from this photograph

(alone) is 750 feet, and expected contour accuracy is 1500 feet.

The same basic THOWAGRNA vehicle and recovery system is

used for ARGON as for CORONA although the improved THOR can

be used. Of a total of five launches since January 1962, three

have been successfully recovered, one in FY 1964. Another

launch is scheduled for.October 1963. In addition four payloads

are being procured in FY 1964 and 1965 to provide mapping

capability if it is required.
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Four and Five

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Denied in Full
Cntral S

417 •

The 417 Project has as its objective the development

and maintenance of an operational capability of providing

daily cloud cover information from over the USSR and China

in direct support of the National Reconnaissance Program.

The 417 spice vehicle weighs 109 lbs. and is spin

stabilized in a 400-500 na sun synchronous polar orbit.

Electrical power is obtained from solar cells. Through

•

magmatic tape recording of a video image, vertical cloud
a V

ter

Celd u•isi s M

cover pictures • with about one mil, resolution are provided

to readout stations at Loring APB, Maine and Fairchild APB,

Washington.. The data is transmitted to the Global Weather

Central at OffUtt APB, Nebraska for incorporation into daily

operational forecasts supporting both the NRP and SAC operations.

The 417 capability, has been demonstrated by the second '

test wherein Soviet Bloc weather data was provided for over

seven months. However, difficulties with the Scout booster

have seriously limited system operation and the next launch

will utilize the TAR-AGNWL as a booster instead of the Scout.