NATIONAL RtelMNAT3SANCE

PROGRAM STATUS

7 December 1962

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Control No.
11111511101ART SAMLITIC RECCONAISSANCE PROGRAM

1. COMA-M - 162 

The CORONA-Mural project is an extended version of

the CORONA effort, consisting of two CORONA 24" focal

length f3.5 panoramic cameras mounted at a 30 0 convergent

angle for stereo. Capacity of each camera is 7800 feet

of 70 mm thin-base film, covering 4.5 million square miles

per flight. In addition, a 1.5" focal length framing

camera and 85 ms Stellar camera is included, to enhance

the use of the panoramic photography. The system utilises

the TffOR/Agena vehicle and the recovery method is the

same as previously mod in the single-camera CORONA flights.

To date, there have been 16 COMMA-Mural launches, 14

of which have resulted in the successful recovery of the

payload. Since 28 September 1962, four launches have

been accom/ished and all have been successful.

In addition to the 5 COMA' Nural vehicles presently

scheduled for flight (see schedule on last page), there

are now 11 CORONA-J vehicles scheduled for next year.

The CORONA-3 is a CORONA system modified to have two complete recovery systems. These will provide double the

present capacity and will result in a 7-day active life.

A total of 30 days can elapse (130 nu perigee decaying to

a minimum of 80 am) between launch and recovery of the

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second capsule. The first operation will be for 4 days.

Subsequent to the first recovery, the orbiting vehicle

will be spun up and infrequent TL readings will be taken

to determine status. Ephemeris will be maintained by

SPADATB. The second operation will be for 3 days with

the same recovery procedures for recovery of the second

operation. The first CORONA-J system is Planned Hay 1963.

It will be booster by the THOR, augmented by S solid

rocket boosters, and referred to as the thrust augmented

THOR or TAT. CORMA-11 will be interchangeable with

CORONA-J.

A special effort is being made to accelerate the

availability of the CORONA components and to make all the

vehicles using the THOR interchangeable so that we can

have the maximum amount of scheduling flexibility. This

will permit us to launch as many as three CORONAS in one

month if needed to meet any special requirements or

emergencies.

2. LANYARD

This project was initiated in Say 1962 in order to

obtain photography at an early date with resolution

betweellilliand CORONA-V. The system consists of a

greatly simplified version of the discontinued 1018 (E-5)

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project, using the same 66" focal length optical system

and some of the camera hardware already produced. The

recovery system is the same as that used for CORONA-N.

The launch vehicle is a thrust assisted TROIVAgena. The

vehicle will have a 4-day life and should produce photography with a ground resolution of from 4.5 to 5.5 feet

at altitudes of 110-130 um. Dynamic payload tests recently

completed in an altitude chamber have demonstrated a

resolution of so-aa lines per mm.

The 5 LANYARD payloads will be interchangeable with

the additional CORONA-N and ARGON payloads which are available, affording considerable flexibility.

3. ARGON

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 (2353E235 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 photography (alone) is 750 feet, and

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expected contour accuracy is 1500 feet. The same basic

TMOR/Agrna vehicle and recovery system is used for ARGON

as for CORONA.

Mission 9046 was launched on 13 October. It performed

and was recovered successfully.

Th. last ARGON scheduled for this year was deferred

until next spring because it could not have been launched

until mid-November and by this date the sun angle and

snow coverage in the target areas precluded useful data.

4. 722 (698W-201/2-6) 

Project 722 is a photographic area coverage system

designed for 8-10 feet resolution. The sensor consists

of two 36" focal length f/4 panoramic cameras with a 23.4

degree stereo angle. Development was initiated in October

1960. The system will obtain 14,000,000 square nautical

miles of coverage during a 5-day mission of which

9,000,000 square nautical miles will be non-redundant.

The fifth flight test vehicle was launched 11 November. The system, including the payload, operated properly

throughout the launch, injection, orbital, and deboost

phases of the mission with the exception that there was

not a positive indication of hatch cut during injection.

The re-entry phase of the mission was not successful.

Nigh temperatures were observed on the inside of the

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vehicle along the aft half of the bottom section and on

the corresponding section of the aft bulkhead. All other

temperatures, inside and out, were nominal. The recovery

sequence actuated early, probably due to a heat induced

firing of the deceleration parachute drogue slug. The

vehicle impacted at a time corresponding to a drag force

equivalent to a reefed main chute, probably indicating

tearing of the chutes due to deployment at excess speed.

As compared to Vehicle Number 4, thLa vehicle was

much betzer instrumented and considerable data were

obtained. The analyses of these data are not yet completed but indications are that a hole was opened in the

aft end of the ablative shell in sone manner. This

could have been caused by a breech plug or a sink plug

being exposed, an outside temperature or pressure sensor

causing a crack in the shell, or by a bond and/or shell

failure induced by the separation shock.

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9. 417 (P-35)

Project 417 i

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direct support of the forecasting activities which

support the satellite reconnaissance program. The 417

space vehicle weighs 100 pounds, and is spin stabilised

in a 400-mile orbit. Through magnetic tape recording of

a video image, vertical cloud cover pictures of about

one-mile resolution will be provided to read-out stations

at Vandenberg APB and New Boston, N.R.

The first successful launch was accamplished 23 August

1963. All oyster operated normally, and the 417 payload

achieved an excellent orbit with apogee of 463 nm and

perigee of 340 nm. All satellite subsystems have been

operating satisfactorily since the launch. As of 3 December 1962 after 103 days on orbit, 5600 pictures have been

received. 3820 of these (70%) have been useable and have

been incorporated into daily operational forecasts prepared by the Global Weather Central, in direct support

of the satellite reconnaissance activities. Present

indications are that the satellite can continue to provide useful information through about mid-January 1963.

The third 417 vehicle is ready for launch and will

be launched when the payload presently on orbit fails.

An emergency direct readout station was set up at

Iglin A/8 on 28 October to support the Cuban operation.

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A van mounted, mobilo station is being built the will

permit d i rect readout from any location to meet such

emergencies in the future.

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