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A spy satellite is an Earth
observation satellite or communications
satellite deployed for military or intelligence applications. Until the 1970s and even the 1980s, many spy satellites that took photographs would eject canisters of photographic film, which would descend to earth and be plucked from the
air as they floated down on parachutes.
In the United States, the most information is available on programs
that existed up to 1972. Some information about programs prior to that time is still
classified, and a small trickle of information is
available on subsequent missions. A few up-to-date spy satellite images have been declassified on occasion
Examples of spy satellite missions:
- high resolution photography (IMINT)
- communications eavesdropping (SIGINT)
- covert communications (HUMINT)
- enforcement of nuclear test bans
- detection of missile launches
Types of spy satellites
Key Hole (KH) series of imaging satellites:
| Time period |
Designation |
Code name
or Nickname |
Optics |
Notes |
| 1959–1972 |
KH-1 to
KH-4 |
Corona |
Resolution: 7.5m, 2.75m, 1.8m
Focal length: 0.6m |
First known series of US spy satellites; photographs returned by film canister ejection. |
| 1960–1962 |
– |
Samos |
Res: 30 to 1.5m
Foc len: 0.7 to 1.83m |
Most flights used radio to relay images; some film returns; probably cancelled due to
poor-quality imagery |
| 1961–1964 |
KH-5 |
Argon |
Res: 140m
Foc len: 76mm |
Film return |
| 1963 |
KH-6 |
Lanyard |
Res: 1.8m
Foc len: 1.67m |
Shortlived operation for imaging a specific site; used a camera from the Samos program; film return |
| 1963–1967 |
KH-7 |
Gambit |
Res: 0.46m |
Film return |
| 1966–1984 |
KH-8 |
Gambit |
Res: 0.5m |
Film return |
| 1971–1986 |
KH-9 |
Hexagon
Big Bird |
Res: 0.30m |
Film return |
| cancelled |
KH-10 |
Dorian |
|
Manned Orbiting Laboratory; space station based on Gemini program |
| 1976–1995 |
KH-11 |
Crystal
Kennan |
Res: 0.15m
Mirror: 2.3m |
First known digital imaging spy satellite. |
| 1990?–present? |
KH-12 |
Ikon
Improved Crystal |
Res: 0.15 to 0.10m?
Mirror: 2.4 to 4m? |
Digital imaging; possible "live" intelligence gathering |
| 1999?–present? |
KH-13 |
8X? EIS? |
Res: 0.10? to 0.04m?
Mirror: 4m? |
Very little known; possibly includes radar imaging or maybe stealth technology |
See also
External links
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