Author Topic: American spy satellites to be declassified this week (Read 40388 times)

hoku · « **Reply #40 on:** 09/16/2011 04:03 pm »

DefenseTech (dated Sep 15) reports
http://defensetech.org/2011/09/15/nro-declassifying-two-cold-war-spy-satellites/:
...
NRO director and former Air Force general Bruce Carlson told reporters during a breakfast in Washignton this morning that the office will be declassifying the KH-7 –8 series Gambit spy satellite that was used to take pictures of the Soviet Union between 1963 and 1984 and the KH-9 Hexagon satellite ... used between 1971 and 1986.
...
All four of the Hexagon’s film capsules will be on display and the satellite’s body will be partially opened up so that museum guests can look inside to see in inner workings of the 60-foot-long camera, according to Carlson.

The report concludes by mixing up the early days of the CORONA program with HEXAGON...

simpl simon · « **Reply #41 on:** 09/16/2011 04:49 pm »

Quote from: Blackstar on 09/16/2011 03:54 pm

Quote from: simpl simon on 09/16/2011 02:54 pm
I hear the invitation list to the Saturday evening event runs to 4000 people (and no, I'm not on it).
I'll be there. I'm also going over Saturday morning to see the KH-9. I'll take a lot of photos, but won't post them until Saturday afternoon when I can get access to wifi.

OK, I'll keep a look-out for a guy taking a lot of photos.......
If the weather tomorrow is like today, I'll probably be wearing a lightweight windcheater jacket with a dark green-black tartan pattern.

knotnic · « **Reply #42 on:** 09/16/2011 07:54 pm »

Will non-press be allowed to this event? I know it says "the public" but the press release also gives an RSVP email for reporters.

EDIT: Called the museum and the satellite will be on display all day. The 12:30-2:30 portion is the press briefing period.

knotnic · « **Reply #43 on:** 09/16/2011 08:34 pm »

Quote from: Blackstar on 09/16/2011 08:07 pm

Quote from: knotnic on 09/16/2011 07:54 pm
Will non-press be allowed to this event? I know it says "the public" but the press release also gives an RSVP email for reporters.

EDIT: Called the museum and the satellite will be on display all day. The 12:30-2:30 portion is the press briefing period.

I didn't know about the press thing. The 9 will be viewable all day. I don't know about the 7, which I think is supposed to be inside and "unveiled" in the evening.

You probably know more about these things than me. The nice person on the other end of the info line (703-572-4118 for Udvar-Hazy) said something to the effect that "they like to get them all there at the same time" and based on the text of the press release I assumed that meant they would have some kind of briefing. I may be wrong.

knotnic · « **Reply #44 on:** 09/17/2011 07:26 pm »

I'm sure the pros will get some better pics, and more info, but for the curious here's a few shots of the KH-9 HEXAGON unveiled at the Smithsonian Air & Space Udvar-Hazy parking lot today. It was in a tent with a fair number of folks milling around (many seemed to be familiar with the vehicle and were there ahead of the big reception tonight). There was the full satellite (ground test version) with both main cameras and some film return canisters installed (with various parts of each return capsule uncovered), a separate film return vehicle in an "exploded" arrangement with heatshield set aside from the film capsule, and a separate mapping camera assembly with its own smaller film return capsule attached.

They were also playing a partially redacted video (from the 80s I think) which explained the history and technology of the system.

I don't have a ton of time so hopefully others who attended can chime in with more info. If I can I'm trying to assemble some mosaic/panoramic shots of the Big Bird.

knotnic · « **Reply #45 on:** 09/17/2011 07:32 pm »

To clarify: first shot obviously the whole satellite. 2nd shot the 2 cameras in the belly of it. 3rd is the return capsule from aft (all parts) and 4th is the inside of the return capsule. Final shots are aft & front views of the mapping camera (last is rotated - oops).

robertross · « **Reply #46 on:** 09/17/2011 07:37 pm »

Quote from: knotnic on 09/17/2011 07:32 pm

To clarify: first shot obviously the whole satellite. 2nd shot the 2 cameras in the belly of it. 3rd is the return capsule from aft (all parts) and 4th is the inside of the return capsule. Final shots are aft & front views of the mapping camera (last is rotated - oops).

THANKS!!

Blackstar · « **Reply #47 on:** 09/17/2011 07:46 pm »

I'm in one of those shots.

JosephB · « **Reply #48 on:** 09/17/2011 08:10 pm »

Arrrgh, when I save knotnic's pic to desktop all I get is the top sliver of the pic & all the rest is greyed out. what gives?

robertross · « **Reply #49 on:** 09/17/2011 08:22 pm »

Quote from: JosephB on 09/17/2011 08:10 pm

Arrrgh, when I save knotnic's pic to desktop all I get is the top sliver of the pic & all the rest is greyed out. what gives?

when you go to save, you should be ble to see its progress, and since the images are quite large, it should take a few secs (this is how I tell if a download works or not).

So in a series of images, I usually have to try the first image twice (replacing the first download), and then it downloads fine, as does the rest. If not, try a new folder (and the above process may still apply).

JosephB · « **Reply #50 on:** 09/17/2011 09:27 pm »

Quote from: robertross on 09/17/2011 08:22 pm

Quote from: JosephB on 09/17/2011 08:10 pm
Arrrgh, when I save knotnic's pic to desktop all I get is the top sliver of the pic & all the rest is greyed out. what gives?

when you go to save, you should be ble to see its progress, and since the images are quite large, it should take a few secs (this is how I tell if a download works or not).

So in a series of images, I usually have to try the first image twice (replacing the first download), and then it downloads fine, as does the rest. If not, try a new folder (and the above process may still apply).

Thanks Robert, I tried that but for some reason my PC can't deal with it. Lord knows it can't be operator error. I don't know what makes these any different the the hundreds of others downloaded. There will be more to check I'm sure. Bummer though as they looked pretty cool.

Blackstar · « **Reply #51 on:** 09/17/2011 09:48 pm »

Quote from: JosephB on 09/17/2011 09:27 pm

Quote from: robertross on 09/17/2011 08:22 pm
Quote from: JosephB on 09/17/2011 08:10 pm
Arrrgh, when I save knotnic's pic to desktop all I get is the top sliver of the pic & all the rest is greyed out. what gives?

when you go to save, you should be ble to see its progress, and since the images are quite large, it should take a few secs (this is how I tell if a download works or not).

So in a series of images, I usually have to try the first image twice (replacing the first download), and then it downloads fine, as does the rest. If not, try a new folder (and the above process may still apply).

Thanks Robert, I tried that but for some reason my PC can't deal with it. Lord knows it can't be operator error. I don't know what makes these any different the the hundreds of others downloaded. There will be more to check I'm sure. Bummer though as they looked pretty cool.

Go to the history section.

runaground · « **Reply #52 on:** 09/19/2011 01:29 pm »

I've just now got around to uploading my photos from my trip to the Udvar-Hazy Center -- you can find them all here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thephillyfly/sets/72157627577960481

The slideshow link in the upper right at that page will let you view slightly bigger photos. All of the KH-9 photos are at the front-end of the set (approximately the first third of it) if you're not interested in the rest. However, I also included some shots of the KH-7 satellite taken from a distance (as it was in an area restricted to gala invitees only). Those are near the very end of the photo set.

I'm really glad I stumbled onto this thread by chance -- I'd been meaning to get down to visit the A&S Annex, and this was the perfect excuse to finally go do it! Can't wait to visit again. A lot of displays were moved around or blocked by catering stuff, so it will be nice to see the place in its "normal" state next time.

kevin-rf · « **Reply #53 on:** 09/19/2011 01:50 pm »

runaground, thanks for posting those!

robertross · « **Reply #54 on:** 09/19/2011 09:16 pm »

Quote from: runaground on 09/19/2011 01:29 pm

I've just now got around to uploading my photos from my trip to the Udvar-Hazy Center -- you can find them all here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thephillyfly/sets/72157627577960481

Great images, thanks for sharing!

manboy · « **Reply #55 on:** 09/20/2011 12:36 am »

That heatshield looks a bit like the one used for Gemini.

iamlucky13 · « **Reply #56 on:** 09/20/2011 01:31 am »

Great shots guys! Thanks for sharing.

Blackstar, are those fact sheets newly declassified?

It's hard to make much sense of the photos beyond the highest level details (here's the camera, here's a return capsule, etc).

The basic camera structure is obvious, and if you look close, you can see where the film feeds in. The panoramic cameras could tilt, correct?

On the back of one of the recovery capsules I see a slot for the film to pass through, and if you look close on the inside shot, you can see the teeth of the film cutting mechanism. I don't see how the slot is closed off for recovery. The film rolls are gigantic. I bet a single capsule's worth of film could occupy a couple analysts for several months, not to mention all the work that must go into developing and enlarging the images.

The thruster on the capsule is obvious, but if you look closely at the legs of the thrust structure you can spot attitude control thrusters, also.

The thrust structure appears to be held in place by the display stand. On the Flickr stream, in one shot taken from directly behind the capsule, you might notice what may be the attachment points on the lower half where the rear cover has been left in place. I see springs under the legs, which I assume push the thrust structure away after a post-burn pyro event.

Does anybody know the orientation of the panoramic image on the film? Is the 6.6 inch film width the long edge of the panorama or the short? And any idea if the image was recorded in true aspect ratio on the film, or anamorphically compressed?

Blackstar · « **Reply #57 on:** 09/20/2011 02:17 am »

Includes a few photos from the party itself.

http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1931/1

Big Black throws a party
by Dwayne A. Day
Monday, September 19, 2011

On Saturday night the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) celebrated its fiftieth anniversary with a major bash at the Smithsonian’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles International Airport. The spooks definitely know how to throw a party.

The event was remarkable in some ways because for the first 31 years of its life the NRO was a secret organization and the government did not even admit that it existed—blacker than black. But in the past 20 years the office, by fits and starts, revealed more of what it does. Today although most of its current operations remain classified, the NRO acknowledges the broad outlines of its activities, taking images and intercepting signals using sophisticated and expensive satellites. The NRO has had its share of scandals in the past couple of decades, some of which became public, but lately it seems to be on a roll with a number of programmatic successes, and so they held a party, and have something to celebrate.

robertross · « **Reply #58 on:** 09/21/2011 01:39 am »

Here's something I pried out of PDF document 9 for the HEXAGON project (p19/22):

NASA INTERFACE

We have maintained a continuing dialog with NASA for the purpose of insuring that the new technology applicable to their programs is transferred when this can be done within the bounds of security. We discussed the possibility of NASA flying CORONA satellites for their Earth Resource Program, hoping that this already developed system could result in cost savings for them, but the system did not adequately meet their needs. Following the decision to cancel the MOL Program, residual hardware was offered to NASA and they were able to benefit from some 'of this development. Much was unclassified, such as the astronaut feeding system, sample pressure suits, small airborne computers and the large Laboratory Module Simulator, but some was reconnaissance mission related. Properly declassified, NASA has used the MOL Mission Development Simulator for development of their SKYLAB program along with optical technology of the Acquisition and Tracking Scope. Some of the large glass blanks remaining from the program were furnished to NASA for various non-reconnaissance optical projects.

Edit to add this (p.22):

The Space Transportation System has a potential impact on the NRO, and we are studying--at a low level of effort-- ways in which we can benefit from its capabilities. The NRO has not yet designed or redesigned any payload specifically for STS launches but has participated in the continuing planning for this system, including studies of design changes which would take better advantage of shuttle availability.

koroljow · « **Reply #59 on:** 09/21/2011 03:58 pm »

Coming back to http://www.nro.gov/foia/declass/GAMBHEX.html I get only an '500 - Internal Server error'. So, beginning on Monday, I can't access any of the newly declassified GAMBIT / HEXAGON documents. Is it a problem here in Germany only or do you have similar problems in the US?
(Couldn't download the videos on Sunday because of my slow DSL connection at home. And now the content is gone...)
Crying!!!