Wild Bill 2, 4 (Aftrack 27, 33) (original) (raw)
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Wild Bill 2 and 4 (Aftrack 27/Mission 7202 and Aftrack 33/Mission 7216) were ELINT/SIGINT payloads in the Aftrack program.
Purpose of the Wild Bill ELINT packages was to search for signals from the HEN HOUSE ABM/AES radar that had been seen under construc- tion at Sary Shagan on images obtained by photographic reconnaissance satellites.
While most Aftrack payloads, including Wild Bill, Wild Bill 1 and Wild Bill 3, were integrated in the Agena stage, which was part of an reconnaissance satellite, the Wild Bill 2 and Wild Bill 4 payloads used a free flying Agena stage used to orbit some Poppy satellites.
| Nation: | USA |
|---|---|
| Type / Application: | ELINT, SIGINT |
| Operator: | |
| Contractors: | |
| Equipment: | |
| Configuration: | Instruments on upper stage |
| Propulsion: | ? |
| Power: | Batteries |
| Lifetime: | |
| Mass: | |
| Orbit: | 238 km × 2762 km, 70.34� (#2); 174 km × 813 km, 69.87� (#4) |
| Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Bill 2 (Aftrack 27, Mission 7202) | 1962 βτ 6 | 13.12.1962 | Va 75-1-1 | P | Thor-DM21 Agena-D | with Poppy 1A, Poppy 1B, Injun 3, Surcal 2, Calsphere 1 |
| Wild Bill 4 (Aftrack 33, Mission 7216) | 1963-021A | 15.06.1963 | Va 75-1-1 | P | Thor-DM21 Agena-D | with Poppy 2A (Solrad 6), Poppy 2B, Poppy 2C (RADOSE), LOFTI 2A, Surcal 3 |
References:
- David D. Bradburn, John O. Copley, Raymond B. Potts: National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) history – The SIGINT Satellite Story
Further Aftrack SIGINT missions:
- Donkey (Aftrack 42)
- Grape Juice 1 (Aftrack 17)
- Grape Juice 2, 3 (Aftrack 22, 25)
- Hayloft (Aftrack 37)
- Long John 1, 2 (Aftrack 35, 34)
- Long John 3 (Aftrack 38)
- Long John 4 (Aftrack 39)
- New Hampshire 1 (Aftrack x)
- New Jersey 1 (Aftrack 24)
- New Jersey 2 (Aftrack 30)
- Opporknockity (Aftrack 40)
- Plymouth Rock 1 (Aftrack 26)
- Plymouth Rock 2 (Aftrack 34)
- Red Vino 1, 2 (Aftrack 28, 31)
- Soctop 1 (Aftrack 1)
- Soctop 2 (Aftrack 2)
- Soctop 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (Aftrack 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10)
- Square Twenty (Aftrack 41)
- S.T. Low 1, 2 (Aftrack 18, 21)
- Taki (1), (2) (Aftrack 7, 11)
- Taki (3) (Aftrack 19)
- Taki 2, 3 (Aftrack 23, 29)
- Texas Pint 1 (Aftrack 12)
- Topsoc 1, 2, 3 (Aftrack 13, 14, 15)
- Topsoc 4 (Aftrack 16)
- Wild Bill (Aftrack 9)
- Wild Bill 1 (Aftrack 20)
- Wild Bill 2, 4 (Aftrack 27, 33)
- Wild Bill 3 (Aftrack 32)