KH-4A Corona (original) (raw)

KH-4A 4 [USAF]

The KH-4A (Keyhole-4A) was fifth version in the Corona-program to build an optical reconnaissance satellite.

KH-4A carried two J-1 panoramic cameras, with a focal length of 61 cm, and a ground resolution of 2.7 m.

KH-4A also carried a 4 cm index camera, with a focal length of 38 mm, a ground resolution of 162 m, and frame coverage of 308 km × 308 km.

Secondary Payloads

Some satellites carried secondary payloads mounted on the satellite:

• KH-4A 2 carried the Discoverer Research Package (Research Module) payload
• KH-4A 3 carried the Long John 3 (Aftrack 38/Mission 7222) ELINT payload
• KH-4A 4 carried the LPARL Aurora 1964 (ORBIS 1) payload
• KH-4A 5 carried the IPEX (Research Module) payload
• KH-4A 11 carried the Bit 7051? (Bit 1) ELINT payload
• KH-4A 13 carried the Bit 7052 (Bit 2) ELINT payload
• KH-4A 14 carried the Bit 7053 (Bit 3) ELINT payload and the ORBIS payload
• KH-4A 15 carried the Bit 7054? (Bit 4) ELINT payload
• KH-4A 16 carried the Bit 7055? (Bit 5) ELINT payload
• KH-4A 17 carried the Bit 7056? (Bit 6) ELINT payload and the RM-104 payload
• KH-4A 18 carried the Bit 7057? (Bit 7) ELINT payload
• KH-4A 19 carried the Bit 7058? (Bit 8) ELINT payload
• KH-4A 21 carried the Bit 7059? (Bit 9) ELINT payload
• KH-4A 26 carried the LPARL Aurora 1965 (Research Module) payload and the Square Twenty (Aftrack 41/Mission 7225) COMINT payload featuring a 2 m parabolic antenna and a 2 m long curved rectangular fan beam antenna
• KH-4A 43 carried the STP S67-3 (Module 283) payload, consisting of the RM-12, RM-15 and SXS instruments. The RM radiometers had been flown before on the unsuccessful MRPV (Corona 99) satellite.

When the launch vehicle switched to the more powerful Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D, many missions carried small "Subsatellite Ferret" or other small satellites into orbit.

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