Author Topic: NRO organization  (Read 17645 times)

Offline Jim

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NRO organization
« on: 09/26/2011 02:23 pm »
I decided to start a new thread

I had a chance to read all the Hexagon and Gambit histories and stories during my vacation.

There was a lot more information than just about the spacecraft, there is some organizational info.  They have the most info on SAFSP (Secretary of the Air Force Office of Special Projects)  (and some on SAFSS) that I have seen in open literature.  There are some discussion on the formation and org charts/office symbols.

Until the NRO website fixes some of the links, I won't be able to reference the Hexagon and Gambit documents but the following document has the directors of SAFSP and SAFSS.

http://www.nro.gov/foia/docs/foia-leaders.pdf

Offline ChileVerde

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #1 on: 09/26/2011 07:44 pm »
I decided to start a new thread

[snip]

http://www.nro.gov/foia/docs/foia-leaders.pdf


Thanks.  NRO organizational history is notoriously complicated, not to say acrimonious, and it would be nice to review what we know and don't.  I'd be interested just to understand how Program B evolved and what it actually consisted of in various years and how the org charts looked.
"I can’t tell you which asteroid, but there will be one in 2025," Bolden asserted.

Offline Jim

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #2 on: 09/26/2011 07:56 pm »
I would say that Program B was just some program offices, since Program A did the support and ops.

Offline Michael Cassutt

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #3 on: 10/26/2011 03:24 pm »
This is a great topic for space history -- largely unexplored.  With that in mind, here are two SAFSP (Secretary of the Air Force Special Projects, aka NRO Program A) org charts from the GAMBIT history by Oder et al.

First is fairly rudimentary, but because they gave it:


Offline Michael Cassutt

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #4 on: 10/26/2011 03:27 pm »
The second SAFSP org chart, from 1965, is a bit more interesting -- it gives some of the SP numbers, for one thing.  Perhaps some NSF folks can fill in the missing ones.... I'll start with CORONA being SP-7. 

Sigint programs (Yundt) pretty much had to be SP-8 or 9.

I don't know when this structure came into existence -- but I believe it lasted until 1982, when there was another re-org.

Michael Cassutt

Offline Blackstar

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #5 on: 10/30/2011 02:44 am »
Okay, found some stuff.

This is the basic NRO org chart. I'm not sure when this went into effect, but it was probably around 1966 and it lasted until the early 1990s.

Program A was the Air Force component.
Program B was the CIA component.
Program C was the Navy component.

John Pike once made a great comment that for much of its history the NRO was not really an organization but instead was a bunch of bureaucratic entities that flew in rough formation. That was Programs A, B and C.

In the latter 1960s they were joined by Program D, which was responsible for aircraft. I forget the exact details on that, but it was created around the time that the CIA got rid of their A-12 OXCARTS and Program D was responsible for keeping them (they just put them all in storage) and also managing SR-71 flights over North Korea and North Vietnam. Program D was eliminated in the early 1970s.

Offline Blackstar

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #6 on: 10/30/2011 02:50 am »
Program A was managed on the West Coast, at LA Air Force Base, with Aerospace Corporation support. Their responsibilities included:

GAMBIT
HEXAGON (taking over around 1970 or so)
Low-altitude ferrets.
High-altitude signals intelligence satellites starting with CANYON. Later VORTEX, TRUMPET.
JUMPSEAT

Program B was the CIA office, managed out of CIA Headquarters in Virginia. Their responsibilities included:
CORONA
HEXAGON (initially)
KENNAN
RHYOLITE/AQUACADE (and later stuff)
Some scattered sigint stuff that was apparently stuck onto some early CORONAs.
Some agent communications stuff that we don't know much about.
The super secret stealth satellites.

Now the tricky one is the SDS comsat. It should have been CIA, but might have been managed by Program A for the CIA.

Program C was the Navy component, which was fairly small. It was based at the Naval Research Lab in Washington. It was responsible for:
GRAB
POPPY
PARCAE (White Cloud)
« Last Edit: 10/30/2011 02:58 am by Blackstar »

Offline Blackstar

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #7 on: 10/30/2011 02:52 am »
Here's the NRO Staff org chart. I don't have anything to say about this.


Offline Blackstar

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #8 on: 10/30/2011 02:57 am »
Sometime in the early 2000s Richelson wrote an NRO organization paper that discussed changes in the organization since the early 1990s. He apparently had some more recent org charts in that paper, but I don't have a copy and don't have a citation.

Programs A, B and C were eliminated and replaced with Imint, Sigint, and Communications directorates. Then they apparently changed that again, although I don't know how (this must have been in the latter 1990s). Then they changed it again to the current structure.

Offline Jim

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #9 on: 01/10/2017 03:20 pm »
SAPSP   
SP-1   Director
SP-2   Vice Director
SP-3   Security/Policy
SP-4   Safety
SP-5   Personnel
SP-6   R&D
SP-7   Hexagon
SP-8   ?
SP-9   Contracts
SP-10   Mission Operations
SP-11   ?
SP-12   Finance & Budget
SP-13   ?
SP-14   Gambit
SP-16   Launch Integration   
SP-21   Hexagon/Gambit


Haven't seen any other numbers.

Offline Blackstar

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #10 on: 01/10/2017 04:18 pm »
SAPSP   
SP-1   Director
SP-2   Vice Director
SP-3   Security/Policy
SP-4   Safety
SP-5   Personnel
SP-6   R&D
SP-7   Hexagon
SP-8   ?
SP-9   Contracts
SP-10   Mission Operations
SP-11   ?
SP-12   Finance & Budget
SP-13   ?
SP-14   Gambit
SP-16   Launch Integration   
SP-21   Hexagon/Gambit


Haven't seen any other numbers.

SIGINT has to be in there. I also wonder if comms would be in there as well--not necessarily space-based relay, but an office for the ground stations.

Offline Michael Cassutt

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #11 on: 01/10/2017 04:52 pm »
SAPSP   
SP-1   Director
SP-2   Vice Director
SP-3   Security/Policy
SP-4   Safety
SP-5   Personnel
SP-6   R&D
SP-7   Hexagon
SP-8   ?
SP-9   Contracts
SP-10   Mission Operations
SP-11   ?
SP-12   Finance & Budget
SP-13   ?
SP-14   Gambit
SP-16   Launch Integration   
SP-21   Hexagon/Gambit


Haven't seen any other numbers.

SP-8 was PROGRAM A SIGINT.... described in the fascinating BIRTH OF AIR FORCE SATELLITE RECONNAISSANCE by Peter A. Swan & Cathy W. Swan [2015] as a "basket SPO" managing five programs in the late 1960s -- surely the polar sigints, the P-11s, CANYON, JUMPSEAT and whatever involvement SAFSP had in RHYOLITE.

SP-11 was RHYOLITE as it transformed into MAGNUM/ORION. The book cited above notes that this unit grew out of SP-8 around 1977.

SP-13 seems to have been KENNEN, at least the SAFSP element.

SP-27 was the Manned Spaceflight Engineer program from 1980 to 1983.  There was apparently an SAFSP re-organization under new director Jacobson around that time and the MSE program became a joint SP./Space Division effort designated SP-15.

I have heard of an SP-44 that dealt with some Space Test Program payloads.

Michael Cassutt

Offline Michael Cassutt

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #12 on: 01/10/2017 04:54 pm »
SAPSP   
SP-1   Director
SP-2   Vice Director
SP-3   Security/Policy
SP-4   Safety
SP-5   Personnel
SP-6   R&D
SP-7   Hexagon
SP-8   ?
SP-9   Contracts
SP-10   Mission Operations
SP-11   ?
SP-12   Finance & Budget
SP-13   ?
SP-14   Gambit
SP-16   Launch Integration   
SP-21   Hexagon/Gambit


Haven't seen any other numbers.

SIGINT has to be in there. I also wonder if comms would be in there as well--not necessarily space-based relay, but an office for the ground stations.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, ground stations (Satellite Control Network) seems to have resided within SP-10.

MC

Offline Jim

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #13 on: 01/10/2017 05:31 pm »
SAPSP   
SP-1   Director
SP-2   Vice Director
SP-3   Security/Policy
SP-4   Safety
SP-5   Personnel
SP-6   R&D
SP-7   HEXAGON
SP-8   SIGINT "Basket" SPO (polar sigints, P-11s, CANYON, JUMPSEAT)
SP-9   Contracts
SP-10   Mission Operations   OD-1 and OD-4
SP-11   RHYOLITE/MAGNUM/ORION
SP-12   Finance & Budget
SP-13   KENNAN
SP-14   GAMBIT
SP-15        MSE
SP-16   Launch Integration   
SP-21   HEXAGON/GAMBIT
SP-27       MSE
SP-44       STP

edited SP-10.  It was omitted in my cut and paste

We know OD-4 was at Sunnyvale.  But what about OD-1?  I think I have a challenge coin from Menwith Hill with OD-1 on it.
Did OD-2 or OD-3 exist?  Pine Gap or Bad Aibling?

Offline Michael Cassutt

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #14 on: 01/10/2017 08:11 pm »
SAPSP   
SP-1   Director
SP-2   Vice Director
SP-3   Security/Policy
SP-4   Safety
SP-5   Personnel
SP-6   R&D
SP-7   HEXAGON
SP-8   SIGINT "Basket" SPO (polar sigints, P-11s, CANYON, JUMPSEAT)
SP-9   Contracts
SP-10   Mission Operations   OD-1 and OD-4
SP-11   RHYOLITE/MAGNUM/ORION
SP-12   Finance & Budget
SP-13   KENNAN
SP-14   GAMBIT
SP-15        MSE
SP-16   Launch Integration   
SP-21   HEXAGON/GAMBIT
SP-27       MSE
SP-44       STP

edited SP-10.  It was omitted in my cut and paste

We know OD-4 was at Sunnyvale.  But what about OD-1?  I think I have a challenge coin from Menwith Hill with OD-1 on it.
Did OD-2 or OD-3 exist?  Pine Gap or Bad Aibling?

OD-1 was at Sunnyvale, too.  OD-2 was Menwith Hill.  OD-7 was NRO unit at Fort Meade.  Not sure about OD-3.

MC

Offline Jim

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #15 on: 01/11/2017 12:20 am »

OD-1 was at Sunnyvale, too.  OD-2 was Menwith Hill.  OD-7 was NRO unit at Fort Meade.  Not sure about OD-3.

MC


I confirmed that the coin had OD-2 on the coin.  I forgot 1 was at Sunnyvale with 4.  I should have saved my old Sunnyvale phonebook.

Offline Michael Cassutt

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #16 on: 01/11/2017 04:08 pm »

OD-1 was at Sunnyvale, too.  OD-2 was Menwith Hill.  OD-7 was NRO unit at Fort Meade.  Not sure about OD-3.

MC


I confirmed that the coin had OD-2 on the coin.  I forgot 1 was at Sunnyvale with 4.  I should have saved my old Sunnyvale phonebook.

You should have!  ;)

So we have unattributed OD numbers 3, 5 and 6 at least... and NRO locations in Bad Aibling, Pine Gap and Buckley?

MC

Offline Jim

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #17 on: 01/11/2017 04:49 pm »

OD-1 was at Sunnyvale, too.  OD-2 was Menwith Hill.  OD-7 was NRO unit at Fort Meade.  Not sure about OD-3.

MC


I confirmed that the coin had OD-2 on the coin.  I forgot 1 was at Sunnyvale with 4.  I should have saved my old Sunnyvale phonebook.

You should have!  ;)

So we have unattributed OD numbers 3, 5 and 6 at least... and NRO locations in Bad Aibling, Pine Gap and Buckley?

MC

And White Sands?

Offline Michael Cassutt

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #18 on: 01/11/2017 05:50 pm »

OD-1 was at Sunnyvale, too.  OD-2 was Menwith Hill.  OD-7 was NRO unit at Fort Meade.  Not sure about OD-3.

MC


I confirmed that the coin had OD-2 on the coin.  I forgot 1 was at Sunnyvale with 4.  I should have saved my old Sunnyvale phonebook.

You should have!  ;)

So we have unattributed OD numbers 3, 5 and 6 at least... and NRO locations in Bad Aibling, Pine Gap and Buckley?

MC

And White Sands?

True, we have both ADF-SW (White Sands) and ADF-E (Fort Belvoir).... was just making the assumption that they came along a few years later and might have higher numbers. On the other hand, not sure when the OD designations came into use....

MC

Offline Jim

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #19 on: 01/11/2017 08:02 pm »

 On the other hand, not sure when the OD designations came into use....

I know at least earlier than 1983

Offline Michael Cassutt

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #20 on: 01/12/2017 02:54 pm »

 On the other hand, not sure when the OD designations came into use....

I know at least earlier than 1983


And prior to 1980, though how much earlier I still don't know.

On another NRO/SAFSP organizational matter.... where is SDS/QUASAR?  This office was created as a SAMSO or Space Division "white" unit in 1969 and listed on org charts at various times after that. Around 1983 -- the time of Jacobson's re-org -- it vanished into darkness. But where?  Under SP-13, since the relay satellites were part of the KENNEN system?  How was it also related to the Defense Dissemination System?

Have been searching for SPO directors and have only been able to identify one of the Space Division colonels, Magill, pre 1983. Obviously Space Division phone books and org charts would fill in the blanks from 1969 til then, but I don't have access to them.....

MC

Offline Jim

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #21 on: 01/12/2017 03:49 pm »
I will see if I had any Space Division phonebooks.

Have you seen this thread?
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=29115.msg913804#msg913804

Also have you read Dwayne Day's JBIS Article from 2006 on SDS?  He states it was taken over by Program B (not A) from SAMSO in 1983.
« Last Edit: 01/12/2017 03:50 pm by Jim »

Offline Michael Cassutt

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #22 on: 01/12/2017 04:47 pm »
I will see if I had any Space Division phonebooks.

Have you seen this thread?
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=29115.msg913804#msg913804

Also have you read Dwayne Day's JBIS Article from 2006 on SDS?  He states it was taken over by Program B (not A) from SAMSO in 1983.

I had forgotten that vital point -- which explains the lack of a dedicated Special Projects unit and confirms my own suspicion that SP's involvement in the program resided within SP-16, integration.

MC

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #23 on: 01/12/2017 04:56 pm »

I had forgotten that vital point -- which explains the lack of a dedicated Special Projects unit and confirms my own suspicion that SP's involvement in the program resided within SP-16, integration.

MC

Did you ever heard of the MISC contract (Mission Integration Support Contract) that Martin Marietta had?

Also, would you agree that SP-16 became OSL?
« Last Edit: 01/12/2017 04:57 pm by Jim »

Offline Michael Cassutt

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #24 on: 01/12/2017 05:54 pm »

I had forgotten that vital point -- which explains the lack of a dedicated Special Projects unit and confirms my own suspicion that SP's involvement in the program resided within SP-16, integration.

MC

Did you ever heard of the MISC contract (Mission Integration Support Contract) that Martin Marietta had?

Also, would you agree that SP-16 became OSL?

No to the MISC contract.... strong yes to SP-16 = NRO Office of Space Launch.  Former MSE Col. Mac Lydon became the last head of SP-16, then transitioned to OSL (so his LinkedIn bio says), retiring from that post in 1993.

MC
« Last Edit: 01/12/2017 06:00 pm by Michael Cassutt »

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #25 on: 01/12/2017 08:29 pm »
  Former MSE Col. Mac Lydon became the last head of SP-16, then transitioned to OSL (so his LinkedIn bio says), retiring from that post in 1993.

Yes, I do remember him.

MISC was a huge support contract that cover shuttle mission integration for all DOD payloads.  And it was another layer on top of LSICs to help disguise the SVC's.  The spacecraft projects worried about payload integration, where as MISC worried about the whole mission.

At one time, SAMSO/SD has an office symbol YO that did mission integration for both AF and SP missions.  The Director was dual hatted SD/SP (I think it was headed by Kulpa).  It got reduced down to just SD missions around 1982/3 or so.  SP-16 used the office symbol of YOX to the outside world. 

When I got to LAAFS in 1983, things were moving around.  The SPOs were 2 letter office symbols starting with Y and they reported to two office symbols starting with C headed by generals.  CL was Deputy Commander for Launch and Controls Systems headed by Don Kutyna and deputy was Nate Lindsay.  Through the 5 years I was there, Don Cromer, Don Hard, Lindsay, etc all cycled through the position.  In 1987, shortly after Lindsay had left to go to head SP, I made captain.  I was kind of surprised to get a congratulation card from him.  I was more surprised to see that address was from SAFSP-1.  I still have the card.

Offline Michael Cassutt

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #26 on: 01/13/2017 04:02 pm »
  Former MSE Col. Mac Lydon became the last head of SP-16, then transitioned to OSL (so his LinkedIn bio says), retiring from that post in 1993.

Yes, I do remember him.

MISC was a huge support contract that cover shuttle mission integration for all DOD payloads.  And it was another layer on top of LSICs to help disguise the SVC's.  The spacecraft projects worried about payload integration, where as MISC worried about the whole mission.

At one time, SAMSO/SD has an office symbol YO that did mission integration for both AF and SP missions.  The Director was dual hatted SD/SP (I think it was headed by Kulpa).  It got reduced down to just SD missions around 1982/3 or so.  SP-16 used the office symbol of YOX to the outside world. 

When I got to LAAFS in 1983, things were moving around.  The SPOs were 2 letter office symbols starting with Y and they reported to two office symbols starting with C headed by generals.  CL was Deputy Commander for Launch and Controls Systems headed by Don Kutyna and deputy was Nate Lindsay.  Through the 5 years I was there, Don Cromer, Don Hard, Lindsay, etc all cycled through the position.  In 1987, shortly after Lindsay had left to go to head SP, I made captain.  I was kind of surprised to get a congratulation card from him.  I was more surprised to see that address was from SAFSP-1.  I still have the card.

When Lindsay was CF (I think CL was deputy for launch operations -- that's what it says on my July 1986 org chart) the deputy for space transportation system (YO) was Col. Donald Depree... I assume that was some kind of dual hatted job.

Were there other SP numbers (especially from the pre 1983 era) that came and went?  I know that the famous SP-7, which managed CORONA, then the Air Force element of HEXAGON, was merged with SP-`4/GAMBIT in 1978... becoming SP-21.  The SP-7 number was "retired," but revived in the late 1980s under Col. Robert Mihara, and in existence into 1990 at least. Have often wondered if this was where the SAFSP team for the misty-erious payload on STS-36 lived....

MC
« Last Edit: 01/13/2017 04:03 pm by Michael Cassutt »

Offline Jim

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #27 on: 01/13/2017 05:31 pm »

When Lindsay was CF (I think CL was deputy for launch operations -- that's what it says on my July 1986 org chart) the deputy for space transportation system (YO) was Col. Donald Depree... I assume that was some kind of dual hatted job.

Were there other SP numbers (especially from the pre 1983 era) that came and went?  I know that the famous SP-7, which managed CORONA, then the Air Force element of HEXAGON, was merged with SP-`4/GAMBIT in 1978... becoming SP-21.  The SP-7 number was "retired," but revived in the late 1980s under Col. Robert Mihara, and in existence into 1990 at least. Have often wondered if this was where the SAFSP team for the misty-erious payload on STS-36 lived....

MC

 I worked for Depree in YO (actually Craig Martin in YOF*).  YO at that time was "down graded" to just Air Force missions.  SP-16 used the office symbol YOX back then. 

CF became CL in one of the reorgs after Challenger.
CLV was Expendable Launch Vehicles (old YX).  Vic Whitehead
CLT was shuttle, Space Test Program and Starlab

Can I get a copy of the org chart?

* Let's see how good my memory is
YOE - Ducote  Engineering
YOO - Kumashiro  Operations
YOC - Riles   Integration
YOM - was MSE's and then became YM (separate two letter)
YOB - Business
YOG ? 


Offline Michael Cassutt

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #28 on: 01/14/2017 05:44 pm »

When Lindsay was CF (I think CL was deputy for launch operations -- that's what it says on my July 1986 org chart) the deputy for space transportation system (YO) was Col. Donald Depree... I assume that was some kind of dual hatted job.

Were there other SP numbers (especially from the pre 1983 era) that came and went?  I know that the famous SP-7, which managed CORONA, then the Air Force element of HEXAGON, was merged with SP-`4/GAMBIT in 1978... becoming SP-21.  The SP-7 number was "retired," but revived in the late 1980s under Col. Robert Mihara, and in existence into 1990 at least. Have often wondered if this was where the SAFSP team for the misty-erious payload on STS-36 lived....

MC

 I worked for Depree in YO (actually Craig Martin in YOF*).  YO at that time was "down graded" to just Air Force missions.  SP-16 used the office symbol YOX back then. 

CF became CL in one of the reorgs after Challenger.
CLV was Expendable Launch Vehicles (old YX).  Vic Whitehead
CLT was shuttle, Space Test Program and Starlab

Can I get a copy of the org chart?

* Let's see how good my memory is
YOE - Ducote  Engineering
YOO - Kumashiro  Operations
YOC - Riles   Integration
YOM - was MSE's and then became YM (separate two letter)
YOB - Business
YOG ? 



Sending --

Good memory, though: chart does Ducote in YOE, though chief is listed as vacant.
YOO is Major Best
Riles is YOC, YOM was MSE (technically Manned Spaceflight under Pailes)
YOB was Business (Program Control) under LTC Ludwig
I see no YOG.

Michael Cassutt
« Last Edit: 01/17/2017 04:25 pm by Michael Cassutt »

Offline Magic

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #29 on: 01/14/2017 05:58 pm »
Also have you read Dwayne Day's JBIS Article from 2006 on SDS?  He states it was taken over by Program B (not A) from SAMSO in 1983.
In the BIS third pub "Space Chronicle Vol 59 Supplement 1 2006"

Offline Michael Cassutt

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #30 on: 01/14/2017 06:11 pm »
Also have you read Dwayne Day's JBIS Article from 2006 on SDS?  He states it was taken over by Program B (not A) from SAMSO in 1983.
In the BIS third pub "Space Chronicle Vol 59 Supplement 1 2006"

Thanks -- I DO have that and, in fact, am frequently in touch with the author on various space-related matters. My error was forgetting that when SDS migrated into the black in 1983, it went to the CIA's Program B, not Special Projects/Program A.

MC

Offline gosnold

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #31 on: 01/15/2017 03:42 pm »
Any idea in what division the SAR birds are? For me it's not clear if it was a CIA program or an Air Force one.

Offline Michael Cassutt

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #32 on: 01/15/2017 08:11 pm »
Any idea in what division the SAR birds are? For me it's not clear if it was a CIA program or an Air Force one.

The SAR program -- LACROS (note spelling) later TOPAZ -- seems to have been under SP-14, which was GAMBIT until that program's conclusion in the mid-1980s, but was still listed as an office through 1990. At that time the SP-14 director was Col. James Mannen, who was involved in both imagery (GAMBIT) and sigint programs in his long career... and was apparently the first head of the IMINT directorate when NRO offices were consolidated at Chantilly in 1992.

MC

Offline Michael Cassutt

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #33 on: 01/17/2017 04:30 pm »

And how about the Office of Space Systems, the NRO Staff that was ensconced in the Pentagon's Suite 4C1000 for so long....

SS-1   Director
SS-2   Exec asst/admin

Then we have SS-3 through SS-9 (SS-9 was Operations as of 1990).

Titles associated with these offices include Policy, Plans & Systems, Programming -- with various Program Element Monitors under those.

Discuss.

Michael Cassutt


Offline Blackstar

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #34 on: 01/17/2017 08:36 pm »
Also have you read Dwayne Day's JBIS Article from 2006 on SDS?  He states it was taken over by Program B (not A) from SAMSO in 1983.
In the BIS third pub "Space Chronicle Vol 59 Supplement 1 2006"

Thanks -- I DO have that and, in fact, am frequently in touch with the author on various space-related matters. My error was forgetting that when SDS migrated into the black in 1983, it went to the CIA's Program B, not Special Projects/Program A.

MC

That guy owes me money.

I checked another historical source on the SDS that had a lot of redactions. No mention of which office did what. Sorry.

Don't we somewhere have a one-page phone book listing of SP offices and the people who were in charge of them? I swear to have seen something like this in the past.

Offline Michael Cassutt

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #35 on: 01/17/2017 09:50 pm »
Also have you read Dwayne Day's JBIS Article from 2006 on SDS?  He states it was taken over by Program B (not A) from SAMSO in 1983.
In the BIS third pub "Space Chronicle Vol 59 Supplement 1 2006"

Thanks -- I DO have that and, in fact, am frequently in touch with the author on various space-related matters. My error was forgetting that when SDS migrated into the black in 1983, it went to the CIA's Program B, not Special Projects/Program A.

MC

We did - was basing some of my statements on this info, and here it is with my comments to the right of the names:

SP-1      Lindsay, Nate            SAFSP director
SP-2      Larned, Rick             SAFSP vice director
SP-2A   Grammer, Pat
      Hotard, Doug
      Ramirez, Terry
SP-3      Davis, Art                security
SP-6      Hodgson, Mark          advanced tech
SP-7      Mihara, Bob             short-term, likely IMINT related
SP-8      Gayer, Frank             SIGINT (Mercury, Trumpet, P-11 follow-on)
SP-9      Krieger, Lance          contracting
      Pfeil, Denny
SP-10   Mekaru, Mark
      Cooper, Dennis
SP-11   Geyer, Gary             ORION
      Soukup, Steve
SP-12   Wood, Jane                budgeting
SP-13   Buffin, John                IMINT ? seems to be CRYSTAL
SP-14   Mannen, James          IMINT, possibly LACROS
SP-15   Andreoli, Leo      
      Jaeger, Len
SP-16   Lydon, Mac             launch integration
      Le Compte, Wayne
SP-17   Opfer, James           networks
      Travis, Mark

YPO      Harrington, P.
CDD      Brookes, Mae

MC



Offline Jim

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #36 on: 02/03/2017 02:04 pm »

And how about the Office of Space Systems, the NRO Staff that was ensconced in the Pentagon's Suite 4C1000 for so long....

SS-1   Director
SS-2   Exec asst/admin

Then we have SS-3 through SS-9 (SS-9 was Operations as of 1990).

Titles associated with these offices include Policy, Plans & Systems, Programming -- with various Program Element Monitors under those.

Discuss.

Michael Cassutt



In 1964

SS-2 Executive Officer with office management, manpower/personnel services, comm services, and admin services

SS-4 Deputy for Satellite Operations with the following branches and sections: Corona, Gambit, SIGINT, satellite opes, intel, weather, comm, and admin

SS-6 looks like Plans
« Last Edit: 02/03/2017 02:04 pm by Jim »

Offline Blackstar

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #37 on: 02/10/2017 01:24 am »
Going through my new HEXAGON documents, it appears as if studies about putting H on the shuttle were conducted by SP-6, but SP-7 was the HEXAGON office. So I would guess that SP-6 did all the initial studies for various satellites going on the shuttle, but if any decision was made, then their home SP took over from there.

Offline Michael Cassutt

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #38 on: 02/10/2017 04:49 pm »
Going through my new HEXAGON documents, it appears as if studies about putting H on the shuttle were conducted by SP-6, but SP-7 was the HEXAGON office. So I would guess that SP-6 did all the initial studies for various satellites going on the shuttle, but if any decision was made, then their home SP took over from there.

Yeah, SP-6 was R&D/Advanced Tech and did preliminary studies. When it came to developing hardware and ops, programs moved to the "flying" offices, SP-7, SP-8/11, and others.  The SP-7 director during those HEXAGON study days, early-mid 1970s, was Col. Raymond Anderson.

Michael Cassutt

Offline Blackstar

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #39 on: 02/10/2017 05:51 pm »
Going through my new HEXAGON documents, it appears as if studies about putting H on the shuttle were conducted by SP-6, but SP-7 was the HEXAGON office. So I would guess that SP-6 did all the initial studies for various satellites going on the shuttle, but if any decision was made, then their home SP took over from there.

Yeah, SP-6 was R&D/Advanced Tech and did preliminary studies. When it came to developing hardware and ops, programs moved to the "flying" offices, SP-7, SP-8/11, and others.  The SP-7 director during those HEXAGON study days, early-mid 1970s, was Col. Raymond Anderson.

Michael Cassutt

I have a memo from Anderson that is rather colorful. He complains about how the NRO's shuttle office doesn't seem to know anything. Also, he seems to have a certain amount of disdain for the stuff produced by SP-6. But you'd kind of expect the head of an operational program to look askance at the R&D guys with their crazy ideas.

Offline melvinschuetz

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Re: NRO organization
« Reply #40 on: 07/21/2017 07:36 pm »
I worked in the SAFSP offices for GAMBIT and HEXAGON at Sunnyvale from the summer of 1980 to the fall of 1982. When I started there we were "SP-10A." Sometime afterward, probably in 1981, we became OD-4. Can't remember exactly when.

MS

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