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PROGRAM STATUS (SATELLITE)

29 JANUARY 1964

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STANIAR! OP 1963 OPERATIONS

During 1963, we conducted seven successful CORONA

missions which resulted in over forty-five million square

miles of photographic coverage;

one LANYARD mission, one-hundred, twenty

thousand square

reconnaissan

in weather one partially successful mission.

Our failures were four in the CORONA program, two in

LANYARD, one each in ARGON d two in Weather.

miles; and two ARGON missions. In SIGIIIT

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-MI-SUMMARY OF SATELLITI RECONNAISSANCE PROGRAM 

CORONA X - 162 

During 1963 seven successful CORONA MURAL general search

aissions were accomplished. There were also four failures

(two due to booster problems and two due to AGENA problems.

The reduced launch rate in 1963 - 11, as compared to 18 (with

14 successes) in 1962 - resulted in part from a reduced requirement for this type of mission and in part from our policy

of intensive reviews and rework prior to flight in order to

eliminate identified causes of failure.

The quality of the CORONA photography has improved since

1962. This was in part because laproved guidance accuracy

enabled better control of orbital period, to within + .15

minute rather than the + 1.4 of 1962, and permitted consistently

lower orbits. Camera modifications accounted for further improvement.

CORONA J 

The CORONA "J" system with its dual recovery capability

has had only one flight since I reported in September. On this

*lesion. after a successful first recovery, a malfunction in

the secure command systea prevented reactivation of the AGENA

and denied operation of the second half of the mission. An

extensive ground test program was conducted during the Fall

and a launch was scheduled for 20 January. This launch was

aborted during the countdown due to extremely high winds.
4as cancelled after

was judged unnecessary when

successful. As a result th

LANYARD 

The LANYARD program, conceived as a

are assigned launch vehicles and are scheduled for launch in

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The payload was so damaged by the storm that refurbishment at

the manufacturer's plant was required. The next launch is now

scheduled for 14 February. A launch rate of one per month is

scheduled thereafter.

the third, and only successful, launch. The remaining payload

systems, now in various stages of completion, are being completed

and will be stored.

IMPROVED TBDR BOOSTER 

In 1962 we undertook to increase the capability of the THOR

booster by strapping three solid propellant rockets to it. Because of our confidende in the THOR and the Douglas Ompany, we

planned no special test launches of this improved booster.

Of 12 improved =Rs used to date, 11 have been completely

successful. The only failure - the first launch attempt - was

caused by failure of the launch crew to complete the closure

of an electrical circuit; this prevented ignition of one of

the solid motors.

ARGON - Geodetic and Mapping Program 

During the last six months of 1962, two successful ARGON

missions were conducted -- one, a normal four-day operation

in August and the second, a five-day operation in October.

Of the four additional payloads ordered last summer three
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May, June and July. The fourth payload is available if required.

Recent evaluations by the ANS and the ACIC have indicated

that adequate data to satisfy Defense Department mapping requirements can be realized from the photographs obtained from the

Stellax/Indez camera now flown in the CORONA program and the

CORONA photography itself. If this proves to be the case

there will be no requirement to continue MOON missions.
417 - Weather Satellite

There have been two Project 417 missions since the

last report. The first was attempted on 20 September, but

the SCOUT booster failed to schieve orbit due to loss of

third-stage control (believed to be caused by excessive

heating of the control components located near the engine

nozzle).

In view of the many difficulties that the SCOUT boosters-.

three failures out of five attempts, an only slightly better

record with NASA SCOUT launches, and the long delays in

realizing a so-called flight-ready status, it was decided to

change to a TBOR-ACINNA booster for the next mission and

thereby maximize the probability of getting a 417 weather

satellite back in operation. The considerably greater

capability of the TBORe.AGENA was sufficient to carry two

separate 417 payloads and thereby increase the odds in favor

of a long operational life.

A TN08-AGEKA with two 417 payloads was successfully

launched on 18 January. Both Weather satellites are working

very well and both the quality and qUantity of pictures are

superior to those obtained from previous flights.

The TROR-AMNA was used as the booster for the 417 only

as an expedient until a less costly replacement for the SCOUT

could be found or until a significant improvement of the SCOUT

reliability was achieved. Since the latter does not look too

promisin , work is proceeding to use SN-75 THOR missiles (that

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have been returned from overseas and reworked) as the booster

for the future 417 satellites. This booster when combined

with the fourth stage solid motor of the SCOOT promises to

give somewhat better performance than the BOOM at comparable

cost. It should realize considerable better reliability.

The first of these boosters (called Burner I) is scheduled

for launch in July 1964.

In October 1964 we expect to fly an improved version of

the 417 satellite vehicle with better reliability and increased

on orbit life.
em • is than in revious are

In the preceding sections of this report because of

your familiarity with the various photographic systems, I

have eliminated detailed discussion of their characteristics.

The section on BIGINT Reconnaissance is longer than in

previous reports because details of the various system characteristics are included, not because this program has received

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