1011-SEMEr

Of NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE

WASHINGTON. D.C.

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3404: OGL Pte

7. THE NRO STAFF March 7, 1968

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MEMORANDUM FOR DR. FLAX

SUBJECT: APOLLO 6 Satellite Photography

Problem:

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To recommend an appropriate position for Mr. Nitze to take

regiDding NASA's presentation to the 303 Committee of APOLLO

6's photographic .capability.

Background: 

The unmanned APOLLO 6, now scheduled for March 26, 1968

lift-off, will carry a Maurer camera "to record engineering data on

spacecraft orientation. " The camera will operate at a resolution of

0.3 milliradian and it is estimated that objects 125 by 125 feet "might

be detected but could not be identified" (see Tab A)? The flight path

(see Tab B) will sweep from New Orleans across Savannah, Bermuda,

Mauritania, Mali, Upper Volta, Ghana, Togo, Dahomey, Gabon,

Congo, Zambia, Mozambique, Malagasy, Malawi, Australia, Hawaii,

Mexico and Tuscon.

Present Status:

This experiment has not been introduced to SACC or to the MSFPC.

I learned of it yesterday by reading an informal note from Myron

Krueger to John Kirk.

In a telephone conversation today, Myron gave me the history of

negotiations on this subject. On February 28, NASA forwarded material

on this experimeht to Peter Jessup for consideration; Mr. Jessup said

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he saw no problem in obtaining 303 Committee approval. NASA

representatives then visited Bill Tidwell and Carl Duckett and outlined a plan for having "the community" screen the photographic

"take" from this experiment. Again, they were told the plan looked

good. The 303 Committee meeting for last Friday (March 1) was

cancelled and the item was moved to tomorrow's (March 8) agenda.

Myron tells me NASA is awaiting the result "breathlessly, " since

this will be a benchmark decision in granting NASA operational

earth-sensing status.

Alternative Courses of Action:

I see no alternative to an action which would advise Mr. Nitze

of this item and its-background.

The choices lie in what position Mr. Nitze should take. Legalistically, he could approve the NASA experiment; however, the results

of this decision will have a far-reaching impact on the DOD and the

NRP. Additionally, if he accepts this item for discussion, he is giving

tacit concurrence to short-circuiting already-established DOD-NASA

functioning mechanisms for review and adjudication. While we recognize and have stated that the NASA operational problem must inevitably

go to the •303 Committee, we should insist that the required preliminaries

be observed in SACC and the MSFPC. To do otherwise would be to invite NASA to address its trivia to SACC/MSFPC and its substantive

issues directly to the 303 Committee.

Recommendation:

I recommend that this 303 Committee agenda item be briefed to

Mr. Nitze and that he be requested to have it removed from the agenda

either prior to or at the meeting and referred to the SACC/MSFPC.

PAPPINAN

Colonel, USAF

10P-SECREr

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PrOTOGRIONTO ASPZOTS OF NASA 

MANNED PACE FLIGHT MISSIONS .

Backnround 

The Project Mercury and Project Gemini manned flight programs

. were characterised by a large volume of significant space photography

acquired for engineering, scientific, and public information purposes.

Photographic subjects ranged from equipment functiois to meteorological

conditions, from astronaut activities to terrain, from astronomy to

oceanography.

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terrain photography experiments have been particularly important

in the Gemini series, identifying the potential values of small-scale

color coverage of very large areas of the world for earth resources

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survey applications. While the hand-hold cameras used by the Gemini - ••

astronauts were not highly sophisticated, these instruments, had the

advantages of light weight, flexibility, and low cost; their publicised

use from orbit resulted in no unfavorable international reactions.

With Project Apollo now beginning its flight phase in earnest,

it is timely to review the photographic elements of the upcoming missions.

2. Moll°

The flight program calls for several unmanned earth orbital test

flights to qualify the flight systems; followed by "caned *mirth orbital 1

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flights of increasing difficulty to qualify and train the flight crews

one their ground support elements. The lunar mission attempts would

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then follow.

It is expected that, in Apollo as in the earlier missions, photography from space of the earth, moon; and stars will be continued,

although at a lower level of activity commensurate with the lunar mission

orientation of the program; the Mercury and Gemini projects were only

earth orbital in capability. •

Apollo 5,

The first unmanned Apollo missions were reentry and guidance

tests using "boiler-plate" spacecraft; the first of these to carry

engineering photography equipment was the first Saturn V mission flown

last year in • highly elliptical orbit. The unmanned Ap011o 5 had on

board a fixed, automatically operated Maurer multi-exposure camera

focused through the spacecraft window. The camera was activated near

apogee, at an altitude of some 10,000 nautical miles, and exposed its

film during the entire terminal phase of the mission. The film was

routinely recovered from the spacecraft after its parachute descent,

sea landing,• and subsequent pick-up by the aircraft carrier Bennington.

. The purpose of the Maurer photography was to verify the actual

response of the spacecraft to the pre-programed altitude dontrol •

commands by comparison of the film record utzkaiwthenratical performance.

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The film records actual spacecraft attitude changes and rates from

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the fixed camera within the spacecraft in terms of angular:motion 

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of tbs'inaged earth being photographed through the window:

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. I Apollo 6 : : t

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The unmanned Apollo 6 mission schoduled for March 21, 1968, • ! t

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will also carry a Maurer camera to record engineering data on --

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spacecraft orientation. Apollo 6 will first fly two circular orbits • 

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at an altitude of 100 nautical milea and then begin the high altitude . 1

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• portion of the mission. The background of the spacecraft window ..1

through which the fixed camera is focused will be t'ct earth subsatellite 

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track for the majority of one complete orbit. In order -.

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to make maximum use of the mission, i: is expected that the engineerigg

data will also be used by the earth resources survey proe

...• participants to provide en insight into the value of this class of .

of

""'photography for each of their disciplines. It is expected that the A

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more interesting photographs will, have a significant public information ..1

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1 • by the acceleration of the spacecraft at launch. The interval between

The on-board Maurer camera timer is automatically activated

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I timer activation and firstexposure is approximately 90 mingtes, or

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value.

Apollo 6 Photonraohv •
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at the beginning of the second orbit. The camera than operates

automatically at the rate of one frame (or exposure) emost ► 8.5 seconds

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.* until the full 180-foot film supply is exhausted, or about 2 hours.

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: The orbital inclination of 32.5° moans that the spacecraft will

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encounter both day and night locally as it moves eastward around the

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. •:- earth. Because the camera operates continuously, some 507 of the

. photography will be of tin-illuminated areas.

With an 8.5•80cond interval between axposuros, there will be an

overlap of approximately 55L between the individual framos; this will

• .permit stereo analysis of the imagery. Each frame covers an area

approximately 75 nautical miles on a side. Because of the overlap,

. 'each from actually includes an advance of 34 nautical miles along

the satellite's ground trace. A continuous strip 75 nautical miles

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Le midi' can be photographed around the 'globe, but because of spacecraft

attitude changes, only approximat4y 21,000 nautical miles of the

earth trace will be covered.

ti The trace on the enclosed map indicates the nominal path of the

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• spacecraft in the low-orbit phase. The trace is marked to indicate

1" the initiation and termination of photography and the local day•night

. condition. The attached tab to provides the list of significant areas

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. • over which the spacecraft will pass while recording photography; the

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approximate times of passese are given i4400aistern.Standard (EST)

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and Local Standard Times (LST), using the 24-,hour notation.

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In summary, the major photographic coverage of interest will be

from the northwest to southeast swath across Africa, starting with.

Ilauritanie and ending with Xalagasy.

The fine graLn color film proposed for use is either S0121

((referred) or S0368. The maximum angular resolution of the system

is expected to be on the order 0.3 milliradians; under the best

conditions of sun angle and atmospheric calm, an object on the order

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of 125 by 125 feet might be detected but could not be identified.

Average groUnd resolution for detection is expected to be on the order

of 150 to.200 feet; identification is limited to objects several times.

. larger than the detection threshold. For earth resource survey

experimentation, this photography Should provide a first approximation

of the data quality that future experimental satellites may provide

.on &systematic, longer duration basis.

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Initiation of photography

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New Orloans,'La. 0835 0735

, .0• Savannah, Ga. C337 0837

Bermuda 0843 0943

Nouakchott, Mauritania '.... 0854 1254

:Bamako, Mali 0855 1355

• Batts., Upper Volta.1358 0858 -

Lake Volta, Ghana 0858 1358

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Lome , Togo 0900 1500

Porto :Cove, Dahomey .. 0900 1500

. .. .Gulf of Guinea .:

Bata, Rio Muni ) .!.'.....1. 0900 • 1500

. Libreville, Gabon) • - ! :. •

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' Congo ..- .7 0902 1602.

Banningvillo, Kinshasa r • 0902 1602

••• , Tshikapa, Kinshasa . • 0905. 1605

Lubumbashi, Kinshasa 0907 -. 1607

Zambesi River, Zambia 0908 170e

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r Zomba, Malawi 0909 1709 1

Antonio Znex, Mozambique 0910 1710

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Bolo, Malagasy 0912 41,1•

1 Australian Coast (north of Perth) 0928

Ayr, Australia 2435

1712

2228 .

Gilbert Islands ' % 0947 0347

Hawaii, U. S. 0954 0454

Baja California, Mexico .

1004

1005 

0704

TuApm, Arizona 0805

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7* . APOLLO 6 SURSATELLITI TEACH DURTNO EARTH PHOTOGRAPHY k , 1.

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End of earth photography •

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