Spy satellite

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KH-4B Corona satellite
KH-4B Corona satellite
Lacrosse radar spy satellite under construction
Lacrosse radar spy satellite under construction

A spy satellite (officially referred to as a reconnaissance satellite) is an Earth observation satellite or communications satellite deployed for military or intelligence applications. The first generation type (i.e. Corona [1] [2] and Zenit) took photographs then ejected canisters of photographic film, which would descend to earth. Corona capsules were retrieved in mid-air as they floated down on parachutes. Later spacecraft had digital imaging systems and downloaded the images via radio links.

In the United States, most information available is on programs that existed up to 1972. Some information about programs prior to that time are still classified, and a small trickle of information is available on subsequent missions. A few up-to-date reconnaissance satellite images have been declassified on occasion, or leaked, as in the case of KH-11 photographs which were sent to Jane's Defence Weekly in 1985.

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[edit] Origins

On March 16, 1955, the United States Air Force officially ordered the development of an advanced reconnaissance satellite to provide continuous surveillance of “preselected areas of the earth” in order “to determine the status of a potential enemy’s war-making capability.”[3] In October 1957, the Russians launched Sputnik. It the first man made object to be put into space.

[edit] Missions

Examples of reconnaissance satellite missions:

[edit] Types

[edit] United States

Time period Designation Code name or Nickname Optics Notes
1959–1962 KH-1 to KH-3 Corona Resolution: 7.5 m
Focal length: 0.6 m		 First series of US imaging spy satellites; photographs returned by film canister ejection. Each satellite carried a single panoramic camera.
1960–1962 – Samos Res: 30 to 1.5 m
Foc len: 0.7 to 1.83 m		 Most flights used radio to relay images; some film returns; probably cancelled due to poor-quality imagery.
1962-1963 KH-4 Corona Resolution: 7.5 m Film return. Two panoramic cameras.
1963-1969 KH-4A Corona Resolution: 2.75 m Film return with two reentry vehicles and two panoramic cameras. Large volume of imagery.
1967-1972 KH-4B Corona Resolution: 1.8 m Film return with two reentry vehicles and two panoramic cameras.
1961–1964 KH-5 Argon Res: 140 m
Foc len: 76 mm		 Film return. Low-resolution, high coverage-area images used for mapping.
1963 KH-6 Lanyard Res: 1.8 m
Foc len: 1.67 m		 Shortlived operation for imaging a specific site; used a camera from the Samos program; film return.
1963–1967 KH-7 Gambit Res: 0.46 m Film return with single reentry vehicle per launch.
1966–1984 KH-8 Gambit Res: 0.5 m Film return.
1971–1986 KH-9 Hexagon
"Big Bird"		 Res: 0.30 m Film return with four or five reentry vehicles per launch.
cancelled KH-10 Dorian Manned Orbital Laboratory; space station based on Gemini program.
1976–1995 KH-11 Crystal
Kennan		 Res: 0.15 m
Mirror: 2.3 m		 First known digital imaging spy satellite. Thought possibly to be similar in size and overall layout to the Hubble Space Telescope.
1990—? KH-12 Ikon
Improved Crystal		 Res: 0.15 to 0.10? m
Mirror: 2.4 to 4? m		 Digital imaging; probably incorporates low light level visible and 3 to 5 micrometre infrared imaging capabilities; possible "live" intelligence gathering.
1999—? KH-13 8X? EIS? Res: 0.10? to 0.04? m (*)
Mirror: 4? m		 Very little known; possibly includes radar imaging or maybe stealth technology.[citation needed]

(*) Although there is much speculation concerning imaging resolution, any optical system is limited by diffraction. For example, a satellite with a 4 m telescope at an orbit of 600 km has a diffraction limited resolution of 10 cm at 550nm (green light), so it certainly cannot read a license plate. Other effects such as an inhomogenious atmosphere further degrade resolution. The apogee of a typical filming mission would have been close to 100 km. Using the above calculation the resolution would have been less than 2 cm (<1 inch).

[edit] Soviet Union/Russia

[edit] China

[edit] Canada

  • Project Sapphire

[edit] Germany

  • SAR-Lupe
    • SAR-Lupe 1
    • SAR-Lupe 2
    • SAR-Lupe 3
    • SAR-Lupe 4
    • SAR-Lupe 5

[edit] France

[edit] United Kingdom

[edit] India

[edit] Iran

  • Sinah-1
  • Mesbah (ready for launch)

[edit] Iraq

(under Saddam Hussein)

[edit] Israel

[edit] Italy

[edit] Japan

[edit] Egypt

  • EgyptSat 1 [1]
  • EgyptSat 2 (planned)
  • DesertSat (planned end of 2007)

[edit] South Korea

[edit] Turkey

  • Türk Gölgesi
    • Türk Gölgesi 1
    • Türk Gölgesi 2
    • Türk Gölgesi 3
    • Classified
    • Classified
    • Gokturk-1 (Co-production planned with either Israel, US, Italy or Germany, 0.8m resolution, integration with National UAV's, Turkish Navy and Air Force)
    • Gokturk-2 (2m resolution, production started at Turkish Aerospace Industries)

[edit] Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has, together with Qatar and United Arab Emirates (other Gulf Cooperation Council's countries) shown interest in satellite military Earth observation systems.

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[edit] Other Countries

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[edit] In fiction

Spy satellites are commonly seen in spy fiction and military fiction. Some works of fiction that focus specifically on spy satellites include:

[edit] References

  1. ^ Corona page at NRO
  2. ^ Corona page at NASA
  3. ^ Erickson, Mark. Into the Unknown Together - The DOD, NASA, and Early Spaceflight. ISBN 1-58566-140-6. 
  4. ^ Rorsat - Encyclopedia Astronautica

[edit] See also

[edit] External links