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BYEMAN 

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1111111111~nlll\lmlllllllllllllllllllllllllll1111111111111111 14000236370 

PLAN 

FOR EXECUTING 

T H E SATELLITE OPERATIONS CENTER 

RESPONSIBILITIES 

15 JANUARY 1968 

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SATELLITE OPERATIONS CENTER PLAN 

Page 

1. PURPOSE • ••••••••••••••• 0 ••••••• 0 ••••••• 0 1 

2. THE SOC MISSION •••••••••••••••••••••••••• 1 

3. BASIC PRECEPT S Q •••••••••••••••••••••••• 3 

4. BASIS OF CHANGE ......................... 3 

5. OPERATING PROCEDURE ••••••.••••..•••••. 5 

a. Collection RequireInents •••••••••.•••••.• 5 

b. Operating Concept. ...................... 7 

c. Mission Planning 9 

d. Mission Tasking ....................... 10 

e. Mission Data Flow ••.•••••.•...•.......• 10 

f. Reporting •... g ••••••• lOt •••••••••••••••••• 11 

6. DA TA PROCESSING ••••••••••••••••••••••••• 11 

a. General • ••••••••••••••• Q •••••••••••••• 11 

b. Data File 12 

c. Tasked Studies . ....................... . 13 

7. RESOURCES • •••••• g •••••••••••••••••••••• 13 

a. C or:n.r:n. uni ca tion s •••.•••••••••••••••••.•• 13 

b. Cor:n.puter ..........• I) ••• g •••••••••••••• 13 

c. Contractual Support ••.••••••..••••••••• 14 

8. COORDINATION /INTERFACE 15 

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SATELLITE OPERATIONS CENTER PLAN 

1. PURPOSE 

a. The purpose of this plan is to: 

(1) State concisely the basic mission of the NRO Satellite 

Operations Center (SOC). 

(2) Clarify the mission-related responsibilities of the SOC and 

the NRO System Program Directors (SPDls ). 

(3) Outline operating concepts and procedures for desirable 

improvements to the present SOC capability for fully accomplishing the 

SOC mission. 

(4) Outline concepts and procedures for keeping the manner 

of accomplishment of the SOC mission optimally compatible with the 

characteristics of new and improved NRO satellite projects and 

improvements in the Satellite Control Facility (SCF). 

b. This plan supersedes rrPlan for an Improved Capability for the 

Satellite Operations Center, 11 BYE 52000-67, dated 1 January 1967. 

revised 12 July 1967. 

2. THE SOC MISSION 

a. The SOC is an NRO staff office which exists for one single and 

specific purpose: to provide the essential working interface between 

the intelligence community and the NRO. It represents the NRO 

satellite programs to the intelligence community and it represents the 

intelligence community to the satellite programs. It is an interface 

between these NRO programs and the intelligence community. and not 

a part of either. In addition, the SOC provides staff support to the 

Director. NRO on matters pertaining to NRO re lations with the intelligence 

community and accomplishment of intelligence collection requirements. 

b. The SOC must work closely with the intelligence community on 

a continuing basis to assure current understanding of all intelligence 

collection requirements. The SOC obtains and provides to the NRO 

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SPDI S lists of targets (discrete or area) of which coverage is desir e d, 

the relative priorities of these targets, and any other intelligence 

information whi ch is necessary to identify the intelligence collection 

desired by the i ntelligence community. The SOC provides all necessary 

interpr etati on of the intelli gence collection requirements for each 

mission. The SOC is responsible for all intelli gence collecti on 

decisions, such as specification of particular orbit (from those within 

the system capability) when this specification is necessary to meet 

intelligence collection requirements. 

c. The SPD retains full responsibility for the actual conduct of 

the mission, including the optimum and efficient operation of the vehicl e 

and payload(s). The SOC provides ta r get decks, priorities, and 

selection criteri a for the computer logi c u sed by the SPD. The SOC 

can make limited choices concerning use of some expendables in 

systems where this task is accomplished manually; but these choices 

must all be within limits determined by the SPD and are applicable 

only when the overall operational status, vehicle health, recovery area 

weather, etc., are determined by the SPD to be satisfactory for SOC 

exercise of such choices. The SPD is responsible for all trade-offs 

and decisions affecting the probability of successfully completing the 

mission, i . e., evaluating and deciding matters where increased 

coverage results in any increased risk. The SOC is responsible only 

for identifying the desired increased coverage to the SPD. The SPD 

is fully responsibl e for the actual conduct of the mission; but he makes 

no decisions to obtain or forego coverage of any intelligence targets, 

except when this latter de cision is the result of operati onal considerations (vehicle health, etc.). The important point of distinction is 

that the SPD is responsibl e for conducti ng the mission; but he is not 

responsible for decidi ng what intelligence coverage to obtain, thi s 

latter is the responsibility of the SOC. 

d. The SOC is also responsibl e for continuing analyses of the 

degree to which stated intelligence collection requirements have been 

met, both quantitatively and qualitatively, with consequent structuring 

of the i ndividual targeting basis for subsequent missions to assure the 

most effective contribution of these missions toward the best possible 

satisfaction of c ollection requirements. 

e. The SOC is responsible for providing to the Director, NRO, 

appropriate analyses to identify the numbers of successful missions 

and the overall NRO m i ssion schedules required to meet overall 

intelligence collection requirements. 

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f. Each SPD is re sponsible for development of all software 

required to conduct the mission of each system in the optimum manner. 

The SOC is responsible for software necessary to be used within the 

SOC, i. e., that which is necessary to accomplish the SOC responsibilities outlined in subparagraphs d and e, above, as hereafter 

explained (whi ch will be developed for the SOC, at the direction of the 

SOC, as otherwise provided herein). 

3. BASIC PRECEPTS 

a. Changes will be made to the present method for accomplishing 

the SOC mis sion to keep it optimally compatible with new program 

capabilities and characteristics, and changes in the program operating 

environment (SCF, separate program-peculiar ground station(s), etc.) 

b. Changes to procedures presently in effect will be in the 

direction of simplifying anything which must be done within the SOC in 

the process of conducting missions, without changing organizational 

mission responsibilities (i. e., within this constraint, what can be done 

in the field and at the SSPO/STC should be done there, and what should 

be done at the SOC is only that which must be done there). 

c. The overall concept of the SOC Plan will be based upon 

characteristics and capabilities of satellite programs and program 

operating environment anticipated for the 1970 time period. 

d. Developments for the SOC (including changes to the present 

SOC capability) and developments for new satellite programs (including 

those now under development, such as HEXAGON) will be consistent 

with the overall concept of the SOC Plan. 

e. Presently operational satellite programs which are projected 

to continue in the 1970 period will be phased into conformity with the 

overall concept of the SOC Plan; presently operational programs not 

projected for such continuation will be completed under present 

procedures. 

4. BASIS OF CHANGE 

ct. The overall SOC mission is presently being accomplished with 

procedure which is tailored to each project as a result of individual 

project history, capabilities, and the present facilities and operating 

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environment. The SOC functions today are mostly manual, operating 

largely on data which have been produced by software which has been 

developed by, and is operated by, the SPD's responsible for the 

individual projects. Some improvement in effectiveness can be 

realized by relatively simple improvements to these procedures, by 

including in revised computer routines some steps presentl y being 

accomplished manually. These present procedures were developed 

for relatively short orbital lifetimes. The longer orbital life planned 

for the 1970 time period will allow considerable simplification of some 

of these procedures while simultaneously increasing their effectiveness. 

In addition, some aspects of the SOC mission are not presently being 

carried out in the fullest sense, such as continuous qualitative and 

quantitative analyses of the extent to which the USlB requirements have 

been met, can be met by scheduled missions, etc., because such 

analyses require computer capacity (and specialized software) in excess 

of present SOC capability. These factors form the need for and basis 

of change to present procedures and present SOC capability. 

b. An example of desirable change by automating procedures 

presently accomplished manually is taking the weather forecast into 

account in the computers used by the SPD. The SOC will control the 

effect of such use thrmgh specification of the weighting factors used 

in the weather algorithms of the software l ogic structure. Under such 

an operation, the target load sent to the orbiting vehicle will be based 

on more current weather information than is pos sible under the 

present relay from GWC to the SOC and then, in the form of weather 

deletes, to the SPD. 

t 

c. An example of change in present procedures brough about by oJ , 

change in program characteristics p lanned for the 1970 time period is 

the effect on long lifetime for photographic missions. The present SOC 

procedures were originally developed for photo missions with a planned 

duration of only four days, where not all targets are acces sible even 

once, where the orbital parameters can be varied with significant 

effect on mission results, etc. This length and type of mission 

contrasts sharply with the 45-day lifeti=e which is the HEXAGON 

objective. Any photo vehicle flown on a 45-day mission must fly an 

essentially sun-synchronous orbit for maximum usefulness throughout 

this l ong lifetime. In such orbits, and for such lifetimes, all illuminated 

targets will be accessible several times. The target (area or discrete) 

priorities and selection criteria initially specified by the SOC can be 

changed during the mission whenever there is a specific basis for this 

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action, such aSj\feedback from Global Weather Central of verified 

weather, a recovered capsule, or receipt of other intelligence 

information. 

d. In contrast to the above examples of change which will reduce 

the work required to be accomplished by the SOC in carrying out the 

SOC mission in the 1970 time period, other characteristics of that 

period will increase the importance of s ome SOC work n ot presently 

being do ne adequately, or at all. T his work concerns quantitative and 

qualitative analyses of the degree to which the overall USIB intelligence 

collection requirements hav e been, are being, and can be met by 

programmed NRO satellite reconnaissance missions. The results will 

provi de a sound basis for action by the NRO to maintain continuously 

an adequate collection capability without unnecessary and very expensive 

surplus. They also will enable more effe ctive utilization of the missio n 

flown, by providing a basis for the SOC to establish the quantitative and 

qualitative degree t o which the overall USIB intelligence collection 

requirements have been met up to the time of each mission, and the 

basis fo r the SOC to structure the target lists, priorities and selection 

criteria provided to the SPD concerned, for use i n the target selection 

software on that mission. Since increased project effectiveness, 

reliability, and lifetimes are characteristic of the NRO c o llection 

capability planned for the 1970 time period, and since all NRO experience in increasing any of these parameters ha s resulted in a steady 

reducti on in the number and frequency of flights desired, and an 

increa s e in l ead times for new procurement or substantial alteration 

to established production schedules, these SOC analyse s will be much m o re 

impo rtant in the 1970 time period than they woul d be today (if the 

capability existed and they were being done t oday). In thi s re spect, it 

is therefore essential to add capability to the SOC. 

5 • OPERAT ING PROCEDURE 

a. Collecti on Requirements 

(1) The SOC will keep the appropriat e USIB agencies informed 

as to collection capabilities, current and pro jected, of the various NRO 

satellite reconnaissance systems and the cumulative status of collection 

accomplishments. 

(a) Defi nition of current collection capabilities to the 

USIB agencies will be accomplished by compilation of technical information on the configuration of each system and mission studies provided 

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to the SOC by the SPDI s responsible for the various systems, and by 

the cumul ative mission accomplishments available from the SOC 

records. Through interpretation and explanation of these collection 

capabilities, the SOC will assist the USIB agencies in defining overall 

collection requirements as well as unique requirements for particul ar 

syst em(s) and special purpose m issi ons. 

(b) Investigation of the potential of exi sting systems 

to meet new collection requirements will be accomplished by the 

responsibl e SPD at the request of the SOC, unless the cumulative 

mission accomplishment records available to the SOC make such 

investigations unnecessary. The SOC will also request the responsible 

SPD to study and/ or propos e a modification to existing systems, when 

feasible, to satisfy these new requirements or desired collection 

ca pabili ty. 

(c) The SOC will assist in the formulati on of collection 

criteria for new systeITls being devel oped or considered for develop -

ment, through participation in the definition of operati onal concepts 

and evaluation of collection effectiveness. The SOC will task the 

responsible SPD to perform the mission and trade-off studies which 

will be used to analyze new operat ional concepts, performance 

requirements, capabilities, and collection effectiveness. 

(d) The SOC will maint ain a cumulative account of the 

degree to which all intelli gence collection requirement s have been 

met, and will conduct quantitative and qualitative analyses of these 

accomplishments on a ITlission-by-mission basis. 

(2) The SOC will receive and interpret all i ntelligence 

collection requirements from the USIB, maintaining close and 

continual coordi nation in order to insure full understanding and 

effective interpretation. The SOC will interpret and tmnslate the 

USIB collection requirements, as necessary, into specific collection 

tasks for emitter types, locations, quality, accuracy, and other 

characteristics which, when necessary, uniquely define the specific 

collection desired. The SOC will also interpret USIB statements of 

priorities into specific relative priorities for each emitter, area, 

target or high interest event, supplementing the guidance received 

from USIB by the results of the SOC analyses of NRO mission 

accomplishITlents not ed in para 5a(1) (d), in order to establish current 

specific collection priorities for each NRO mission. In this man ner, 

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the current collection criteria will be developed by the SOC from the 

USIB statement s of collection requirements into a form and in terms 

which are within the capabilities of the specific collection system(s) 

to be used. 

(3) On the basis of the collection requirements and the 

SOC analyses, the SOC will define the overall number of successful 

missions of each NRO satellite reconnaissance system required to 

obtain the desired collection. The SOC will also define the general 

time period (i. e., month) in which these missions are desired. The 

SPD responsible for each system will add to the above the number 

of additional flights required to assure a reasonable expectation of 

the number of successful missions as stated by the SOC, and, on this 

basis and considerations of cost and procurement factors, establish 

and submit to the DNRO for approval the overall launch schedule for 

each NRO system. SOC statements of desired revisions to established 

launch dates will also be by period (normally the month) in which the 

mission is desired, and the responsible SPD will establish the 

specific date within this period. The only exception will be when the 

specific date is critical to an important intelligence collection objective, 

in which case the SOC will establish the specific date within the range 

of dates determined by the SPD to be feasible. 

(4) For each NRO mission, the SOC will provide missionpeculiar collection requirements (emitter, area, target data) and 

relative priorities to the responsible SPD. The SPD will use these 

data to generate the optimum mission profile, which will be the basis 

on which the mission is flown. 

b. Operating Concept 

(1) There are substantial differences in the capabilities of 

present and projected NRO satellite systems, and in the computer 

capability, software routines, and supporting resources necessary to 

conduct effective missions. In all cases, the responsible SPD must 

provide program-peculiar development for use at the operating field 

location from which the system is controlled and operated. The overall 

operating concept is to use this SPD equipment and field support in the 

accomplishment of the SOC responsibilities for each specific mission, 

instead of duplicating or repeating it within the SOC. 

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(2) To accomplish this, the software routines developed by 

the SPD for mission optimization and target sel ection will include 

appropriate a l gorithms to enable automatic accomplishment of SOC 

responsibilities concerning emitter, area, and target selection, and 

forecast weather in the computer runs of these routines. The SPD 

will coordinate the development of these algorithms with the SOC, 

and the SOC will specify to the SPD the wei ghting factors and sel ectio n 

criteria which will be used in the operation of the s oftware routines 

during the conduct of the mission. For example, the software logic 

for photo graphic systems will provide for counting down the initial 

target or area prioritiess based upon the priorities at the start of the 

mission, the number of times photography has been obtained, the 

weather condition at the time, etc., with the weighting parameters of 

each a lgorithm to be specified by the SOC o Similarly, the logic will 

provide for deleting, on the basis of forecast weather, c overage that 

woul d otherwise be obtained, with weighting parameters that vary with 

gradations of forecast weather and target priorities. 

(3) The basis for SOC specification of these weighting factors 

and selection criteria will be library cases of data, obtained from 

studies conducted by the SPD for the SOC for this purpose, as well as 

actual records of prev ious missions, and from statistical calibration 

data prepared for the SOC by the SPD. 

(4) Statistical calibration of the SOC selection criteria and 

weighting parameters will be accomplished by the SPD through 

appropriate length computer gaming of control parameters versus 

USIB collection requirements provided by the SOC. T his computer 

gaming will be accomplished on the SPD(s) computers using the actual 

mis sion software routines during the idle or non - peak computer loading 

periods. For a given intelligence requirement, the stated control 

parameters will be selected based upon statistics that optimize and 

control the integrated vehi cle and payload operati ons. Once obtained, 

they will remain valid until either the target model or the satellite 

collection capabilities are substantially a ltered. T hese control parameters will then be specified by the SOC for each mission, on the basis 

of such calibration data, and changed by the SOC whenever new information i ndicates a change is necessary to obtain the desired mission 

results (for example, examination of the results of a recovered capsul e 

may indicate a desi rable change in weather and countdown parameters 

for the next capsule on the basis of actual coverage obtained in the first 

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one). This procedure is applicable to any length ITlission, but is 

particularly suitabl e for the long ITlission lifetiITle projected for the 

1970 tiITle period (such as the 45 -day HEXAGON objective). 

c. Mission P l anning 

(l) The SOC will select satellite orbits, within the capabilities 

of each specific systeITl, when such selection significantly affects the 

intelligence collection desired (as, for exaITlpl e, in photographic 

ITlissions of only one or two weeks planned duration). Because of 

uncertainties associated with the attainITlent of a particular set of 

orbit paraITleters (i. e., booster injection liITlitations, drag prediction 

uncertainties) pre -fligh t orbit selection will be accoITlplished by the 

generation by the responsible SPD of sets of " library orbit" cases 

which: 

(a) Are attainabl e within hardware liITlits of the systeITl. 

(b) Are operable within the configuration of the 

Satellite Control Facility environITlent (or other applicable operating 

environITlent) • 

(c) Statistically satisfy general and unique coverage 

requireITlents. 

(2) Based upon the ana lyses, these library orbit cases, and 

each satellite systeITl collection capability, the SOC will deterITline the 

nUITlber of succes sful on-orbit days needed, by calendar period (ITlonth 

or ITlonths) and by systeITl, to satisfy the USIB intelligence colle ction 

requireITlents. 

(3) After a specified vehicle attains orbit, the SPD will plan 

and execute orbit adjusts when possible and necessary to: 

(a) Correct significant deviation froITl the desired orbit. 

(b) Fulfill unique new requireITlents established by the 

SOC after COITlITlenceITlent of the ITlis sion, such as repeated acces s to 

certain areas. 

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d. Mission Tasking 

(1) In order to assure the optimum accomplishment of mission 

objectives, the SOC will interpret and format USIB collection criteria, 

photographic and SIGINT, in terms of; 

(a) The relative value (pri ori ty) of emitter-area target 

coverage relative to other emitters-areas-targets. (Photo and SIGINT) 

(b) The relative value of an emitter-area-target to i ts 

original value after it has been successfully acquired. (Photo and 

SIGINT ) 

(c) Payload operating mode versus each specified 

emitter-area-target. (Photo and SIGINT) 

(d) Maximum acceptable scal e factor (photo) or maximum 

locat ion uncertainty (SIGINT). 

(e) The weathe r prediction thresholds of acquisition 

timing which determine, as re lated to various other utility factors, 

whether or not to operate the payload(s). (Photo and &.I6-IN---T) 

(f) Order or preference of payload states and mandatory 

disable/enable overrides (SIGINT). 

(gO! The priority, target classification, and mode/time -

of acquisition del etion thresh olds for expendabl e control. (SIGINT) 

e. Mission Data Flow 

(1) Prior to each mission, the SOC will determine and provide 

to the SPD(s) the mission objectives (emitter-area-target prioritized list) 

and collection criteria parameters. Based upon these inputs, the 

SPD(s) will determine and provide to the SOC the planned m ission profil e 

and projected target accessibility. 

(2) As the mission progresses, the SPD(s) will provide to the 

SOC daily payload operations summaries, projected mission profile, 

and vehicle/expendable status. T he SOC will modify the on-going 

mission(s) objectives and collection criteria when necessary to meet new 

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or changed USIB collection requirements. Further, as actual mission 

readout b ecomes availabl e, (from recovered capsul es or processed 

SIGINT data) the SOC will p u rge or modify mission objectives and update 

as required, the mission collection criteria. 

f. Reporting 

(1) The SOC will establish and control the NRO operational 

reporting system. This reporting system will inform the DNRO a n d 

USIB of those specific collection requirements which have been as signed 

to particular systems / mis sions and the current and projected status of 

USIB collection objectives. 

(2) In support of this reporting system, the SPD(s) will 

provide reports to the SOC that specify: current and projected mission 

schedules, potential system collection capabilities, current mission 

collection status and its projected mission profile, and mission 

correlation data. Any substantive change of status in the collection 

capability occurring during mission operations will be reported by the 

SPD to the SOC so that the need to m odify the collection requirements 

and/or criteria for that mission may be examined. 

(3) The SOC will arrange for the intelligence community to 

close the reporting loop by rapidly feeding back actual mission results 

to the SOC data file so that it will continually be updated. 

(4) Other than as ou tlined above, recurring reports will not 

normally be used to provide information simply to enable the SOC to 

a n swer any inqui ries whi ch may arise during the course of reconnaissance missions. Such inquiries will be ha n dled on a specific case-bycase question--answer basis directly between the SOC and the 

responsible SPD. Existing communications capability between the SOC 

and the SPDI S is adequate to insure prompt response to all such 

inquiries. 

6. DATA PROCESSING 

a. General 

The SOC needs computer programs and computational support 

to satisfactorily accomplish those aspects of the SOC mission outlined 

in para 2d and 2e. These require n o "real-time" computer processing 

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or direct coupling with any SPD satellite operational computer software. 

Hence, there is no requir ement for identical SOC and SPD computers 

or software nor an increase in the existing data link capacity between 

the SPD facil ities and the SOC. The required SOC software is of the 

data processing type which requires manipulation of large data files. 

The following paragraphs define a data file capability that w i ll be 

developed for SOC usage. 

b. Data File 

(l) The SOC will develop, maintain, and oper ate a dat a file 

which w i ll be primarily a library of collection requirements assigned 

to the NRO by the USIB, and collection accomplishments of NRO missions. 

The SOC will r eceive all requirement s, and accomplishments, translate 

them into the data file, then operate on this basic informati on to provide 

specific out puts. Results of m i ssion-peculiar computer runs provided 

by the SPD's at the request of the SOC will a l so be input to this data fi le. 

(2) The data file will be used along with information on 

project ed capabilities and collection criteria to provi de the basi s for 

establishi ng the number of successful mis sions of each NRO system 

required to meet the USIB requirements, and for evaluation of new 

systems, or modifi ed existing syst ems, in support of the USIB and/ or 

DNRO. 

(3) The data file a l so will be used in conjunction with statements 

of current collection capabilitie s and intelligence collection criteria, 

as furnished by the SPD(s} and the USIB respectively, to define system 

colle ction requi rements and mi s sion collection requirements. 

(a) System collection requirements will be a statement 

of the assignment of a given subset of the total collection requirements 

to a particular type of system (expre s sed in terms operatinally 

applicable to that system), based on its uni que collection capabilities 

and how they relate to the total collection requirements and criteria. 

(b) Mis sion collection requirements will be a mor e 

refined statement of the system requirements, relative priorities, and 

weighting parameters for the sel ection logic in the SPD system software, 

expres sed in compatible terms, based on current capabilities and 

requirements. The mission requirements will be changed as necessary 

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on the basis of feedback from recovered photography or processed 

SIGINT data, or receipt of new corollary intelligence information from 

the USIB. The SPD(s) will use these SOC furnished requirements in 

conducting the operational mission. 

(4) An essential by-product of the data file operations will 

be reports which will be used to inform the DNRO and the USIB 

intelligence community of the status of tasks assigned to the NRO and 

the accomplishment and performance l evels of NRO missions. 

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(5) To maintain currency of the data file, the SOC will manage 

the internal data by receiving collection verification and confirmation 

reports from the SPD(s) and intelligence community, and, based on 

criteria established in close coordination with the USIB, purging or 

modifying the data file as a continuous proces s. 

c. Tasked Studies 

The SOC will task the responsibl e SPD to accomplish any study 

or analysis which requires computer operations with mission software, 

or which require any simulation of mission capability. The capability 

for such computer operations will not be duplicated within the SOC. 

7. RESOU RCES 

a. Communications 

The present communication and data transmission capabilities 

are adequate to support mis sion operations and SPD studies for the SOC 

under the procedures outlined in this plan. As new SPD field facilities 

are added, such as ~he prigram-peculiar mission ground station 

planned for Progra communications of the same general capability 

will be provided between these facilities and the SOC. 

b. Computer 

(1) The computational capability to accomplish the SOC data 

processing functions outlined in this p l an requires one medium-sized 

computer, comparable to the IBM 360/40, to be installed within the SOC. 

(2) Since there is no requirement for SOC computati on on an 

in-line or rev-by-rev basis with respect to missions in progress, there 

is no need for redundancy in the SOC computer capability. 

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CONTROL SYSTEM 

c. Contractual Support 

(1) In accordance with the following arrangements, SAFSP 

will provide support involving contractual effort to the SOC for the 

purposes listed below. Each case refers to effort necessary to carry 

out the responsibilities and procedures outlined in this plan, and which 

has been specifically approved by the DNRO as to scope, content, and 

funding, and for which the SOC has provided the justification and 

obtained the approval. 

(a) Contractor support for coding, programming, and 

machine operation tasks associated with the operation of computers 

withi n the SOC. SAFSP will contract for the amount and type of support 

specified by the SOC. This will be on a level-of-effort basis onl y, with 

no other end items. All such contracted level of effort will be under 

the daily direction of the SOC direct to the contr actor personnel 

provided to the SOC under the terms of the SAFSP contract. 

(b) Contractor consulting engineering servi ce and 

technical assistance or software, computing machines, and satellite 

reconnaissance operations. This support will be provided by the 

Aerospace Corporation, as follows. SAFSP will budget for Aerospace 

MTS for this purpose within the applicabl e limitations and MTS ceiling. 

The Aerospace personne l 'will be selected from those having direct 

applicable experience in satellite reconnaissance work. They will be 

assigned to and stationed at the SOC and will work exclusively for and 

in support of the SOC in regard to computing machines, techniques, 

and the software used by the SOC. The period of assignment to the 

SOC will be as mutually agreed to by the Director, SAFSS, and the 

Vice President and General Manager, Satellite Systems Engineering, 

Aerospace Corporation (normally a one-year tour followed by replacement and rotation back to EI Segundo, California). 

(c) Development of software to be used by the SOC. 

SAFSP will contract for the development of software to be used by the 

SOC, in conformance with direction from the SOC, as follows: 

1. The SOC will provide to SAFSP a description of 

the desired softwa~e. 

2. SAFSP will contract for the development of the 

software. 

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~. Appropriate SOC personne l will participate 

with SAFSP and Aerospace in determinations of all software configurat i ons and modifications. SOC representatives will a lso be invited to 

attend SAFSP meetings with contractors. In addition, SAFSP will 

keep the D/SOC fully informed of the status of t his software 

development. 

i_ Whenever the SOC desires to change the work 

under development for use by the SOC~ SAFSP will be informed by wire 

(or letter, as appropriate). Personal discussions may be used to 

insure full understanding, but changes will be written. 

5. In order to insure no confusion on the part of 

the contractor(s) or dilution of cont ractual discipline o r management, 

the SOC interface will be with SPD exclusively: the contracto r(s) 

involved will see exactly the same interface with SPD as for other 

software developed by SAFSP. It is understoo d that at any meetings 

with contractors, directions or instructions to the contractors will be 

issued solely by the SPD. Such directions or instructions will be 

formulated exclusively by the SPD in c ompliance with SOC desires as 

outlined above, utilizing the SPD/SOC Aerospace support as required. 

(2) In addition to the above support, SAF SP will keep the 

SOC currently informed on the status ofSCF capabilities, including 

improvements under development, and any other pertinent information 

a ffecting the SOC responsibilities. 

8. COORDINATION/INTERFACES 

a. Each NRO SPD will coordinate with the SOC the development 

of the software necessary to operate each reconnaissance system under 

h i s re sponsibility in an optimum manner as outlined he rein. 

b. The SOC will interface directly with the responsible SPD i n all 

cases, and not w ith the supporting resources employed by the SPD to 

conduct the missions (i. e •• the SOC w i ll interface with SAFSP, not the 

SCF. on GAMBIT. HEXAGON. and all other systems for which SAFSP 

is the NRO SPDj they will interface with the appropriate CIA office on 

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CONTROL SYSTEM 

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SATELLITE OPERATIONS CENTER 

FUNC TIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES 

FOR 

PHOTOGRAPHIC SATELLITES 

Purpose. 

The purpose of this paper is to set forth the responsibilities of 

the Satellite Operations Center (SOC). The responsibilities are divided 

into five general areas: Collection Requirements, Mission Planning, 

Satellite Operations, Reporting, and Bookkeeping. 

SOC Responsibilities. 

a. Collection Requirements. 

(1) The SOC provides the NRO representative to the USIB 

subcommittees and working groups. It informs the appropriate USIB 

agencies of collection capabilities, current and projected, of the various 

NRP satellite reconnais sance systems and the cumulative status of 

collection requirements. 

(a) The SOC defines current collection capabilities to 

the USIB by compilation of technical data on the configuration of each 

system, mission studies, and cumulative mission accomplishment 

records. 

(b) The SOC assists in the formulation of collection 

criteria for new systems being developed or considered for development, 

through participation in the definition of operational concepts and 

evaluation of collection effectiveness. The SOC performs mission and 

trade-off studies which are used to analyze new operational concepts, 

performance requirements, capabilities, and collection effectiveness. 

(c) The SOC maintains a cumulative account of the 

degree to which all intelligence collection requirements have been met 

on a day-by-day basis. 

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(2) The SOC' receives and interprets all intelligence 

collection requiremenjs' from the USIB, and maintains close and 

continual coordination to insure full understanding and effective 

interpretation. 

(a) The SOC interprets and translates the USIB 

collection requirements into specific collection tasks for areas, 

targets, and high priority interest events in the form of collection 

modes, location, quality, accuracy, and other characteristics which 

uniquely define the specific collection desired. 

(b) The SOC interprets USIB statements into 

specific relative priorities for each area, target or high interest 

event, and supplements the collection guidance received from the 

USIB through the results of the SOC analyses of NRP mission 

accomplishments; thereby establishing current specific collection 

priorities for each mission. 

(3) The SOC recommends the overall number of successful missions for each NRP satellite program required to obtain the 

desired collection. 

CONTROl. iVST(W 

(a) The SOC will define the overall number of 

successful missions of each NRO satellite reconnaissance system 

required to obtain the desired collection on the basis of the collection 

requirements and SOC analyses. The SOC will also define the general 

time period (i. e., month) in which these missions are desired. 

(4) The SOC provides mission-peculiar collection 

requirements and relative priorities to the resp~ctive SPD for each 

mission. The SPD uses these data to generate the optimum mission 

profiles for SOC selection and approval. 

(a) The SOC specifies to the responsible SPD the 

weightirig factors and selection criteria which are used in the 

operation of the software routines during premission planning. The 

SOC determines weighting factors and selection criteria from studies, 

records of previous missions, and from statistical calibration data. 

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b. Mission Planning. 

(1) The SOC selects satellite orbits from mission profiles 

provided to SOC by the responsible SPD. 

(a) The SOC requests the SPDI S to conduct a search 

of the orbit options with and without auxiliary payloads for those which 

meet the system requirements and provide the largest target aCCess. 

Those orbits that are not satisfactory due to hardware limitations, 

remote tracking station contacts, and recovery zones are eliminated 

by the various programs. 

(b) The SOC decides the orbit to be £lown for a 

particular mission from among those prepared by the responsible SPD 

which provides the highest assurance of USIB requirements as they are 

known at the time the selection is made. 

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(c) The SOC maintains a library of orbits&hich ~t' .-?b~ flow~and U~requi,:ement=,~~at can be ~~~.!~~e sE.~s:gi~ orbit 

is again selected. The generation of this library of orbits has been 

delegated by SOC and provides: 

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f ~ 1. Orbits which are attainable within hardware 

limits of the system. 

2. Orbits which are attainable within the configuration of the Satellite Control FaCility environment. 

3. Orbits which satisfy general and current USIB 

collection requirements. 

c. Satellite Operations. 

(1) The SOC is ro' ed pa~perational summaries, 

projected mission profile, forecast of weather,,; and vehicle! expendable 

status by the SPD after a specified vehicle attains orbit and the mission 

progresses. 

(2) The SOC modifies the on-going mission(s) objectives 

and collection criteria a.s necessa.ry to meet USIB collection requirements. 

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(3) The SOC considers the targets available on the orbit 

selected, frequency and quality of coverage, the predicted weather over 

potential target areas, film availability, the coverage obtained to date, 

and the projected coverage for the current mission to optimize the 

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(4) The soc.make~. the decision as to what tarp'ets or- I -h, •• _,- '" c.~u.M"-'-"-'- " J ~G~~-Yl-.(.I,I't~~~~t,.-1'""" 

areas should be photographed. a h'aR-Sml.-'tS tbi;!, de d s±op to the SPD. 

SPD insures that camera decisions are within ope;oationa.l constraints, 

i. e., performance and health of the on-orbit vehicle. 

d. Reporting. 

(1) The SOC controls the NRO operational reporting system. 

This reporting system informs the DNRO and USIB of those specific 

collection requirements which have been assigned to particular systems I 

mission and the current status of USIB collection objectives. 

(a) The SOC prepares and distributes Reports Control 

Manuals to be used for each satellite reconnaissance project. Manuals 

are similar in format and adjusted to each specific system. 

(b) Any substantive changes in status in the collection 

capacity occurring during mission operation are reported to the SOC 

so that the need to modify the collection requirements and criteria may 

be examined. 

(c) The SOC receives from the intelligence community 

results of the actual mission as soon as the product has been reviewed. 

(d) The SOC receives from the Weather Central forecast weather for the area of interest on a station-contact by stationcontact basis and verified weather for areas of interest photographed 

as soon as feasible. This permits the SOC to add or delete targets on 

subsequent accesses to the same target. 

e. Bookkeeping. 

StJ)) (1) The $G6--maintains and operates a data file which is 

primarily a compilation of all actions in which the SOC has participated 

since the launching of the first photographic reconnaissance satellite. 

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(a) The data file is used with information on projected 

capabilities and collection criteria to provide the basis for estab1ishing the number of successful missions of each NRO system required 

to meet USIB requirements and for the evaluation of new systems in 

support of the USIB. DNRO and NRO Staff. 

(b) The data file is used in conjunction with statements 

of current collection capabilities and intelligence cOllection criteria to 

define system collection requirements and mission collection 

requirements. 

(c) Reports compiled from the data file apprise the 

DNRO and USIB of the status of tasks assigned to the NRO and the 

accomplishment and performance levels of NRO missions. 

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