As a reminder of the 2021 ZAMAN release, please find attached a 2-page document on the RS (Relay Satellite) schedule. The plan was to select two contractors for Phase 1 and 2 studies in June 1970. After the evaluation of Phase 2, the acquisition process would be started with one of the contractors in Sep 1971. Planned launch dates for the two RS were April and June 1974.Overall, the release has a lot of info on the contractor selection (though I don't recall TRW being explicitly named as the losing party for RS, but maybe I overlooked this):
Many thanks, you really are helping preserve a corporate memory that NRO itself seems to be losing in some ways, if that recent volume is indicative. Not sure if I have seen an official statement about losing contractors either, but interestingly Aviation Week at the time had TRW, and had GE and TRW
Quote from: LittleBird on 11/19/2024 07:20 amMany thanks, you really are helping preserve a corporate memory that NRO itself seems to be losing in some ways, if that recent volume is indicative. Not sure if I have seen an official statement about losing contractors either, but interestingly Aviation Week at the time had TRW, and had GE and TRW Yeah, thank you too. And thanks to the people who regularly post and update these threads. Although I write about this stuff a lot, I don't look at every document, and I also forget stuff that I've seen. So these threads are great reminders and helpful.
Quote from: hoku on 07/10/2023 09:39 pmA few more details from the FY78 budget hearings:SDS FY77 approved budget was US$59.4M, and the requests/projections were $83.2M for FY78, and $26.1M for FY79. The 4th SDS, which was purchased in FY77, was the refurbished qualification model ($30.1M). The FY78 request lists $49.1M for the 5th SDS satellite (USA-4, which was launched in 1984?). Launch vehicle costs for FY78 include "sustained launch capability" for the Titan IIIB booster ($4.1M) and the Agena upper stage ($3.5M). The purchasing costs for the Agena were $10.4M. The purchasing costs for the booster ($29.3M) were part of the FY77 budget.Thus total purchasing costs for the hardware for the launch of one 1st generation, new (not-refurbished) SDS satellite were about $90M in 1977 US$ (inflation adjusted US$450M in 2023).Edit: FY72 ($17.8M), FY73 ($23.0M), FY74 ($40M), F75 ($36.5M), F76+F7T ($23M) budget estimates added.All v nice hoku-if you have page 415 where they discuss DSP handy please post that to the DSP thread-would be really nice to see what was being said about it in public at that point. DSP and the relay sat were two of the three Special Access Required (i.e. partly clssified but not TK/BYEMAN) programmes at that time-we don't know what #3 was afaik.
A few more details from the FY78 budget hearings:SDS FY77 approved budget was US$59.4M, and the requests/projections were $83.2M for FY78, and $26.1M for FY79. The 4th SDS, which was purchased in FY77, was the refurbished qualification model ($30.1M). The FY78 request lists $49.1M for the 5th SDS satellite (USA-4, which was launched in 1984?). Launch vehicle costs for FY78 include "sustained launch capability" for the Titan IIIB booster ($4.1M) and the Agena upper stage ($3.5M). The purchasing costs for the Agena were $10.4M. The purchasing costs for the booster ($29.3M) were part of the FY77 budget.Thus total purchasing costs for the hardware for the launch of one 1st generation, new (not-refurbished) SDS satellite were about $90M in 1977 US$ (inflation adjusted US$450M in 2023).Edit: FY72 ($17.8M), FY73 ($23.0M), FY74 ($40M), F75 ($36.5M), F76+F7T ($23M) budget estimates added.
And thanks again @hoku, this time for spotting and posting in the KH-11 thread that the NRO has recently declassified a slightly less redacted, and more readable version of Mitchell's history. https://www.nro.gov/foia-home/foia-fiscal-year-2025/
a slightly less redacted, and more readable version of Mitchell's history.
Quote from: LittleBird on 05/12/2025 04:30 ama slightly less redacted, and more readable version of Mitchell's history. What is less redacted than the prior version?Last time I went through this, I think the only thing they revealed was the name "KENNEN," which we already knew.Note that I wrote about SDS primarily based upon Mitchell's history seven years ago. If there's new stuff in the new version, I will update that article and republish it:https://www.thespacereview.com/article/3440/1
Quote from: Blackstar on 05/12/2025 03:40 pmQuote from: LittleBird on 05/12/2025 04:30 ama slightly less redacted, and more readable version of Mitchell's history. What is less redacted than the prior version?Last time I went through this, I think the only thing they revealed was the name "KENNEN," which we already knew.Note that I wrote about SDS primarily based upon Mitchell's history seven years ago. If there's new stuff in the new version, I will update that article and republish it:https://www.thespacereview.com/article/3440/1i’ll have to check. I noticed things I didn’t remember seeing before but may of course be wrong
I just compared the 2012 release to the 2024 release. The only new bits are:KENNENZAMANZOSTERHughesBut I'm pretty sure that all those were revealed in a release a few years ago, so there's nothing new in the 2024 release.What is disappointing is that they could have released a bit more about the orbits. They've already indicated that the highly-elliptical orbit was used. One page mentions the addition of a third secondary payload. I cannot remember what that was. Anybody have any ideas?
A bit of reasoned speculation: Could STS-38 have launched 2 SDS-B's to GEO?1. The payload margin was near its limit, also concerns about Middeck secondaries' weight (perhaps a CG consideration)2. Need for a spare or coverage in GEO as first Block aged out.3. Reduplication on R11 panel configuration4. Lack of anything new on Prowler besides rumor, but indications there were two satellite launches and separation burns.
Quote from: Kyra's kosmos on 05/12/2025 10:46 pmA bit of reasoned speculation: Could STS-38 have launched 2 SDS-B's to GEO?1. The payload margin was near its limit, also concerns about Middeck secondaries' weight (perhaps a CG consideration)2. Need for a spare or coverage in GEO as first Block aged out.3. Reduplication on R11 panel configuration4. Lack of anything new on Prowler besides rumor, but indications there were two satellite launches and separation burns.Nope. It was what it was.
I'm trying to find something that I saw in the 1990s (and had a copy), but cannot find. It may be a Rockwell press kit for STS-53. What I know is that it had a line drawing of the shuttle payload bay that showed a large shaded object, representing the payload, mounted inside. It is not in the NASA press kit for the STS-53 mission. STS-53 launched an SDS satellite.Anybody remember anything like this? I want to use that graphic for my SDS article, but need to find it first.Update: Never mind. I found it in one of my old articles. But if somebody has the original source, that would be nice.
Quote from: Blackstar on 05/17/2025 06:46 pmI'm trying to find something that I saw in the 1990s (and had a copy), but cannot find. It may be a Rockwell press kit for STS-53. What I know is that it had a line drawing of the shuttle payload bay that showed a large shaded object, representing the payload, mounted inside. It is not in the NASA press kit for the STS-53 mission. STS-53 launched an SDS satellite.Anybody remember anything like this? I want to use that graphic for my SDS article, but need to find it first.Update: Never mind. I found it in one of my old articles. But if somebody has the original source, that would be nice.See pdf page 14 of the attached document.
