KH-1 Corona (original) (raw)
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KH-1 5 [USAF]
The KH-1 (Keyhole-1) was the first attempt in the Corona-program to build an optical reconnaissance satellite. These satellites were all launched under the name Discoverer.
The KH-1 payload consisted of the C (Corona) single panoramic camera and a single General Electric return vehicle (SRV, Satellite Return Vehicle). The C-camera was built by the Fairchild Camera Co. and with a f/5.0 aperture and 61 cm focal length had a ground resolution of 12.9 m.
The satellite was based on the Agena-A upper stage, which provided attitude control in orbit. The film return capsule carried its own small solid-fuel retro motor to deorbit at the end of the mission with mid-air recovery of the returning capsule by a specially equipped aircraft.
After testing the basic vehicle without camera and return capsule on Discoverer 1 and only with SRV on Discoverer 2 and 3, ten KH-1 satellites were launched, but only one resulted in a successful return of film. Three missions failed to orbit. When the first eight missions failed to return the capsule successfully, two more Discoverers without imaging payload (Discoverer 12, 13) were launched. After that, KH-1 9 was finally successful resulting in the only return of film during the KH-1 series.
Secondary Payloads
Some satellites carried secondary payloads mounted on the satellite:
- Discoverer 9 (KH-1 6) carried the TOD 1 (Transit-on-Discovery) navigation payload
- Discoverer 10 (KH-1 7) carried the TOD 2 (Transit-on-Discovery) navigation payload
- Discoverer 11 (KH-1 8) carried the TOD 3 (Transit-on-Discovery) navigation payload
- Discoverer 14 (KH-1 9) carried the TOD 4 (Transit-on-Discovery) navigation payload
- Discoverer 15 (KH-1 10) carried the Soctop 2 (Aftrack 2) ELINT payload and the Discoverer Optical Beacon
| Nation: | USA |
|---|---|
| Type / Application: | Reconnaissance, photo (film return type) |
| Operator: | CIA |
| Contractors: | Lockheed |
| Equipment: | C-Camera |
| Configuration: | Agena-A, 1 SRV |
| Propulsion: | Bell 8048, Star-12 retro motor |
| Power: | Batteries |
| Lifetime: | |
| Mass: | |
| Orbit: |
| Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KH-1 1 (Corona 4, Mission 9001, Discoverer 4) | 1959-F05 | 25.06.1959 | Va 75-3-5 | F | Thor-DM18 Agena-A |
| KH-1 2 (Corona 5, Mission 9002, Discoverer 5) | 1959 ε 1 | 13.08.1959 | Va 75-3-4 | Thor-DM18 Agena-A | |
| KH-1 3 (Corona 6, Mission 9003, Discoverer 6) | 1959 ζ | 19.08.1959 | Va 75-3-5 | Thor-DM18 Agena-A | |
| KH-1 4 (Corona 7, Mission 9004, Discoverer 7) | 1959 κ | 07.11.1959 | Va 75-3-4 | Thor-DM18 Agena-A | |
| KH-1 5 (Corona 8, Mission 9005, Discoverer 8) | 1959 λ | 20.11.1959 | Va 75-3-5 | f | Thor-DM18 Agena-A |
| KH-1 6 (Corona 9, Mission 9006, Discoverer 9) | 1960-F01 | 04.02.1960 | Va 75-3-4 | F | Thor-DM18 Agena-A |
| KH-1 7 (Corona 10, Mission 9007, Discoverer 10) | 1960-F02 | 19.02.1960 | Va 75-3-5 | F | Thor-DM18 Agena-A |
| KH-1 8 (Corona 11, Mission 9008, Discoverer 11) | 1960 δ | 15.04.1960 | Va 75-3-5 | Thor-DM18 Agena-A | |
| KH-1 9 (Corona 14, Mission 9009, Discoverer 14) | 1960 κ | 18.08.1960 | Va 75-3-4 | Thor-DM18 Agena-A | |
| KH-1 10 (Corona 15, Mission 9010, Discoverer 15, Soctop 2) | 1960 μ | 13.09.1960 | Va 75-3-5 | Thor-DM18 Agena-A |