KH-9
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Codenamed Hexagon, the KH-9 was a photographic reconnaissance satellite used by the United States. Twenty launches were attempted from June 1971 to April 1986, and all but one were successful. The satellite was popularly known as the Big Bird.
The KH-9 was originally conceived in the early 1960s as a replacement for the Corona search satellites. The goal was to search large areas of the earth with a medium resolution camera. The KH-9 carried two main cameras, although a mapping camera was also carried on several missions. The photographic film from the cameras was sent to recoverable reentry vehicles and returned to earth, where the capsules were caught in mid-air by an aircraft. Four reentry vehicles were carried on {most missions, with a fifth added for missions that included a mapping camera.
Over the duration of the program the lifetime of the individual satellites increased steadily. The final KH-9 operated for up to 275 days. Different versions of the satellite varied in mass, most weighed 11,400 kilograms or 13,300 kg. Satellites were manufactured by Lockheed and the camera was designed by Itek, but produced by Perkin-Elmer. There were 20 launch attempts and one failure.
The KH-9 was never a backup project for the KH-10 Manned Orbiting Laboratory. It was developed solely as a replacement for the Corona search system.
| Name | Launch date | COSPAR ID | Other Name | Launch vehicle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KH 9-1 | 15 June 1971 | 1971-056A | OPS 7809 | Titan 3D |
| KH9-2 | 1972 Jan 20 | 1972-002A | OPS 1737 | Titan IIID |
| KH9-3 | 1972 Jul 7 | 1972-052A | OPS 7293 | Titan IIID |
| KH9-4 | 1972 Oct 10 | 1972-079A | OPS 8314 | Titan IIID |
| KH9-5 | 1973 Mar 9 | 1973-014A | OPS 8410 | Titan IIID |
| KH9-6 | 1973 Jul 13 | 1973-043A | OPS 8261 | Titan IIID |
| KH9-7 | 1973 Nov 10 | 1973-088A | OPS 6630 | Titan IIID |
| KH9-8 | 1974 Apr 10 | 1974-020A | OPS 6245 | Titan IIID |
| KH9-9 | 1974 Oct 29 | 1974-085A | OPS 7122 | Titan IIID |
| KH9-10 | 1975 Jun 8 | 1975-051A | OPS 6381 | Titan IIID |
| KH9-11 | 1975 Dec 4 | 1975-114A | OPS 4428 | Titan IIID |
| KH9-12 | 1976 Jul 8 | 1976-065A | OPS 4699 | Titan IIID |
| KH9-13 | 1977 Jun 27 | 1977-056A | OPS 4800 | Titan IIID |
| KH9-14 | 1978 Mar 16 | 1979-029A | OPS 0460 | Titan IIID |
| KH9-15 | 1979 Mar 16 | 1979-025A | OPS 3854 | Titan IIID |
| KH9-16 | 1980 Jun 18 | 1980-052A | OPS 3123 | Titan IIID |
| KH9-17 | 1982 May 11 | 1982-041A | OPS 5642 | Titan IIID |
| KH9-18 | 1983 Jun 20 | 1983-060A | OPS 0721 | Titan 34D |
| KH9-19 | 1984 Jun 25 | 1985-065A | USA 2 | Titan 34D |
| KH9-20 | 1986 Apr 18 | 1986-F03 | (launch failed) | Titan 34D |
