Author Topic: History of satellite recovery group  (Read 43124 times)

Offline Gene DiGennaro

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Re: History of satellite recovery group
« Reply #40 on: 06/15/2009 05:12 pm »
And it all would have been obsolete within a few years.

 - Ed Kyle   

I'll agree there. By the time any winged recovery vehicles would be considered operational, real time imagery transmission would have made the lifting body unnecessary.

Offline Blackstar

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Re: History of satellite recovery group
« Reply #41 on: 06/15/2009 05:45 pm »
What would make more sense, but would have been beyond a big stretch for the times, would have been to make the entire upper stage and payload recoverable/reusable.

Actually, they tried this, for the Samos E-5 spacecraft.  It turned out to be a bad way to do it.  I interviewed the camera designer and he said that the camera was a really poor design compromise because of the need to recover it (in particular, he had to retract the camera in order to adjust the spacecraft center of gravity for reentry).  This was a case where the USAF had ulterior motives--they wanted to develop a manned spacecraft--and they compromised the reconnaissance mission in order to satisfy those motives.  The NRO had a different approach.  They sought to maximize the reconnaissance mission and that led them to throw away the cameras after each mission.

I have attached my 3-part article on the Samos E-5.  I apologize for the poor quality of the scan.  I have decent quality artwork of the capsule layout that I can provide as well (they're in the articles).

Offline Blackstar

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Re: History of satellite recovery group
« Reply #42 on: 06/16/2009 03:32 pm »
Here is the only schematic that has been released of the Samos E-6 spacecraft.  The reentry vehicle was based upon the RVX-2 experimental reentry vehicle (there are some pictures out there of the RVX-2 on top of an Atlas--it was a pointy thing).

I believe that they launched five of these (I'd have to check) and lost all five.  They burned up during reentry.  The plan was to splash them into the ocean, then have USAF pararescue divers jump into the ocean and secure them with a float collar.  The divers would then deploy a balloon with a cable to the spacecraft and a C-130 would fly by and snatch the spacecraft out of the ocean.  This was apparently a problematic approach, but I assume that they solved it if they were flying actual missions.

Offline Blackstar

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Re: History of satellite recovery group
« Reply #43 on: 06/16/2009 03:36 pm »
Here is the Samos E-5 capsule.  This was originally started as part of the MISS program.  The USAF kept it alive as a pressurized reconnaissance capsule. 

The camera designer (Jack Herther at Itek in Boston) was told to design a camera that would fit inside the capsule.  Although he had a lot of volume, there were other constraints that really limited the design.  In particular, the "lens cell" in the middle of the vehicle had to be pulled down closer to the reentry shield to lower the center of gravity.  That was a lousy way to design a camera (you really want the lenses fixed, not moving around, because they have to be precise).  The nose cone and the reflecting mirror popped off prior to reentry.

I really wish that I had photographs of this equipment.  I find it hard to believe that none were taken, but so far none have been released.

Offline Blackstar

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Re: History of satellite recovery group
« Reply #44 on: 06/16/2009 03:37 pm »
This is an illustration of Lockheed's proposed Man In Space Soonest proposal, which became the Samos E-5 pressurized capsule.

Offline Blackstar

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Re: History of satellite recovery group
« Reply #45 on: 07/17/2011 07:39 pm »
This is obscure, but some may be interested:

http://military.discovery.com/tv-schedules/special.html?paid=52.15852.22404.0.0

Jul 25, 3:00 pm, (60 minutes)
   
A Supercarrier is Burning: The U.S.S. Enterprise
 
"A fire aboard a supercarrier detonates the ship's weapons. The harrowing minutes that follow are packed with terror, heroism, sacrifice and courage. There are 18 detonations, 15 aircraft destroyed, 17 damaged, 28 dead and 343 wounded."


This is a pretty good documentary produced around 2000 or so about the fire on the carrier USS Enterprise in (I think) 1969. If you watch closely, you can see footage of a US Air Force CH-3 Sea King helicopter used to ferry wounded off the ship. That helicopter was one of the ones from the recovery group. It's rather rare, since there were only three of them in service. It's rather beat up--you don't get the sense that the Air Force made much effort to keep them painted.

I can record this on my DVR, but have no way to burn a DVD. Anybody have a suggestion on how to burn this to DVD?
« Last Edit: 07/17/2011 07:43 pm by Blackstar »

Offline bobthemonkey

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Re: History of satellite recovery group
« Reply #46 on: 07/17/2011 10:11 pm »
What DVR?

Offline Jwiggins60

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Re: History of satellite recovery group
« Reply #47 on: 09/17/2014 03:51 pm »
Hi,
Very old thread, but I just stumbled across it. I was in the 6594th Test Group for 5 years. A Flight Engineer, Examiner, and instructor. I was qualified on the Test Groups, JC-130,B,E,H. (Satellite Recovery), and the C-130P inflight refueling. I did notice on item that was at least not accurate when I was there 80-85, If a Satellite was not recovered and splashed down, the plan was that accompaining PJ's were dropped from an HH-53, put a collar around it, and it was hoisted into the HH-53. HC-130P's accompained the HH-53's, inflight refueling as required. One of our HH-53's hit a commercial fishing vessel rescuing an injured crew member who tried to kill himself. During the recovery over the ship, the tail rotor failed and seperated. The HH-53 crashed into the ship and all crewmembers died on impact and the resulting fireball. Hat's off to all the brave and fearless men and women of the 6594th Test Group who had gone where no other C-130 or HH-53 went. DXXX, I miss the C-130, now manning two computers. Ha. Peace. Jim Wiggins

Offline Blackstar

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Re: History of satellite recovery group
« Reply #48 on: 09/17/2014 05:12 pm »
Are you aware that the group has a reunion coming up? Not sure if it is this month or next, in Hawaii.

There are some official histories of the recovery group, although the most extensive one only really covers Corona operations, not later.

Tags: C-130 6594th JC-130 
 

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