Dark Moon Rising: Archibald space TL
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Scott Kenny
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That might be simple enough to work. Rocket-based combined cycle engine.
Especially if you turned whatever optimizer loose on the thing that simplified the SpaceX Raptor engines.
Project SCOOP office
Vandenberg AFB
"You know, we could easily send HIGH TOWN spysats chasing FOBS or Istrebitel Sputnikov; on suborbital or co-orbital trajectories. Satellites taking photos of satellites : the spooks call that sat-squared, short: S2.
"Won't this piss the Soviets: making them angry and nervous ?"
"Yes, absolutely. That's the political risk entailed by such missions; that can be minimized if we play smart. Back in the day the CIA had a project called ALIAS where a C-130 Hercules would scan space above with a modified Hawkeye radar; pin down a Soviet satellite; and then launch a rocket inspector vehicle on a suborbital trajectory. It would just passing by, with tremendous closing velocities. While it made the mission extremely difficult, it was also much less visible than chasing the Soviet sat on a co-orbit. See what I mean ?"
"Kinda. We want to peep at Soviet satellites, but very discretely; so we can deny if they get angry. I can really see the CIA playing outraged - or dumb. Thinking about it, that sat-squared business could be a mission for a man-tended MOL. With its extremely powerful camera and big mirror, it could observe Soviet satellites from a... safe distance."
"And we could stick an Agena booster or two on that MOL extremities; to give it large orbital manoeuvering capabilities. So it could chase Soviet satellites, but not too much."
"This also applies to on-board astronauts. Remember how they talked about doing astronomy as a secondary mission ? Observing the planets with that big mirror ? Well, if we can track the Moon and planets, we can certainly do the same for Soviet satellites. Nice cover story, don't you think ?"
Vandenberg AFB
"You know, we could easily send HIGH TOWN spysats chasing FOBS or Istrebitel Sputnikov; on suborbital or co-orbital trajectories. Satellites taking photos of satellites : the spooks call that sat-squared, short: S2.
"Won't this piss the Soviets: making them angry and nervous ?"
"Yes, absolutely. That's the political risk entailed by such missions; that can be minimized if we play smart. Back in the day the CIA had a project called ALIAS where a C-130 Hercules would scan space above with a modified Hawkeye radar; pin down a Soviet satellite; and then launch a rocket inspector vehicle on a suborbital trajectory. It would just passing by, with tremendous closing velocities. While it made the mission extremely difficult, it was also much less visible than chasing the Soviet sat on a co-orbit. See what I mean ?"
"Kinda. We want to peep at Soviet satellites, but very discretely; so we can deny if they get angry. I can really see the CIA playing outraged - or dumb. Thinking about it, that sat-squared business could be a mission for a man-tended MOL. With its extremely powerful camera and big mirror, it could observe Soviet satellites from a... safe distance."
"And we could stick an Agena booster or two on that MOL extremities; to give it large orbital manoeuvering capabilities. So it could chase Soviet satellites, but not too much."
"This also applies to on-board astronauts. Remember how they talked about doing astronomy as a secondary mission ? Observing the planets with that big mirror ? Well, if we can track the Moon and planets, we can certainly do the same for Soviet satellites. Nice cover story, don't you think ?"
December 30, 1962
The KGB headquarters
Alan Gordon illegals spy ring had done an even better job than usual. His report sent shivers down the spine of the KGB operatives that digested it; and the Soviet leadership that red the summary thereafters.
The Americans were utterly determined to get a shotgun marriage between a B-58 and a Minuteman; in passing, expanding their production beyond 116 Hustlers and one-thousand missiles.
Alan comprehensive report was far reaching: showing incredible prospects. For a start, the stretched B-58B canned in June 1959 would return; this time with TF30 turbofans, killing the FB-111A with similar engines.
Next, the revamped bomber would air-launch a Minuteman: reaching into space all the way from 65 to 1600 nautical miles high.
This, for General Shoemaker intertwined five core missions: spysat, satellite imaging, interception and destruction; spaceborne ABM.
Modifications to both Hustler and Minuteman would be kept to the minimum, slashing development costs.
From a 2 G pull-up from mach 2.4 level flight at 45,000 foot altitude, the flexible air-launching system could throw a 2000 pound spysat in a 65 nautical miles orbit, single or multiple pass.
While the spacecraft wouldn't last very long, ground resolution would be 3 feet.
...
PROJECT TOWN HALL – AIR LAUNCHED PHOTO RECONNAISSANCE SATELLITE
CONOPS
A-aircraft positions booster in orbital plane;
B-ballistic flight path with apogee at satellite altitude;
C-interception of a satellite is four dimensional : time, height, longitudinal, lateral.
D-boosters interception altitude capabilities
-Skybolt --------------------- 310 n.m
-Minuteman stage 2 - 3----- 510 n.m
-Polaris ---------------------- 930 n.m
-Modified Minuteman------ 1500 n.m
SYSTEM OPERATION
1-Pre-flight alert at Strategic Air Command bases.
2-B-58 prepared for flight
3-Missile guidance aligned and trimmed
4-Initial ephemeris and trajectory loaded
5-System check-out
6-System ground aligned and checked out
7-Missile guidance navigates self B-58 to launch area; pre-computed course.
8-Updated ephemeris entered
9-Launch command
10-Launch with precise velocity & vertical; position azimuth not critical
11-Launch point determined by guidance computer
12-Boost guidance by inertial measurements
13-Thrust termination not critical
14-Stellar fix for position & azimuth correction
15-Booster burns out with velocity in orbit plane
16-Interceptor separates from booster
17-Terminal phase
18-Interceptor, searches expected area
19-Target acquired at-50-80 n.mi.
20-Line-of-sight (LOS), relative bearing angular rate establighed
21-Interceptor yawed 90 degree from line of sight
22-Engine ignited to thrust toward orbit
23-When LOS rates zero vehicle yawed to thrust along los on colligion course
24-Warhead deployed on range to target basis
25-Vernier engine used for orbit adjustment or orbit transfer
26-Multiple pass capability enhanced by virtue of in-orbit
27-Trajectory adjust and de-orbit- re-entry vernier correction
...
CONCLUSION
ADO-40 – now called Project 437 - and various covert reconnaissance systems are being studied and evaluated by separate contractor and USAF groups. This dual separate approach may well result in choice of two systems: optimum for each mission, but entirely different in hardware items. The mobile launch concept is competitive for each mission and should be evaluated simultaneously by usaf personnel cognizant of both missions. Choice of mobile launch concept could lead to greatly reduced development costs, operational costs and reliability improvements through adoption of 2 standard boost: vehicle for dual purpose use.
FOOTNOTE
Project TOWN HALL as it presently stands already has incredibly disruptive potential. Yet consideration is given to add a Lockheed Agena to the baseline. This could make TOWN HALL even more groundbreaking: vastly improving performance and linking it to many space military vehicles.
...
AIR LAUNCHED INTELLIGENCE ACQUISITION SYSTEM (ALIAS)
CONOPS
-Align platforms
-Update ephemeris
-Turn across orbit plane
-Intercept altitude selectable between 90 and 150 n. mi - crossing velocity not exceeding 3000 fps.
-Eject missile from C-130 cargo hold
-Fire missile - 2 stage, 2 cluster - Terrier I sustainer
-Aircraft acquires target
-First-stage & fairings separate
-First-stage soft lands
-ALIAS vehicle acquires target
-Vehicle attitude adjusted
-Terminal correction motor fires
-Vehicle re-acquires target
-Photographic sequence
-Apogee.
-Flat-spin initiated
-Flat-spin stopped
-Recovery chute deployed.
-C-130 recovers ALIAS vehicle
...
The function to be performed by the Air Launched Intelligence Acquisition System (ALIAS) guidance system is the positioning of the payload at the offset distance from the satellite trajectory which is compatible with the chosen sensor capabilities. For a desired 1 inch resolution capability, 5401 film, a 1 percent image motion compensation error, and a 7.5" diameter, 40" focal length optical system, the desired offset distance is 3000 ft and the allowable one sigma guidance error is 1500 ft. The selection of the intercept region along the satellite trajectory will be based on ephemeris data.
A C-130 Hercules is to be modified as below.
-sealed launch duct for rearward extraction at 35,000 ft altitude.
-HF radio for latest SPADATS 66 data.
-AN/ASN-59 Litton Stellar inertial navigation system aboard aircraft, (or Nortronics NAS-14).
-AN-APS-96 airborne radar (similar to the E-2B Hawkeye) modified to match satellite tracking and C-130 aircraft installation requirements;
-Northrop - ALOTS optical tracking system.
-All American Engineering model 90 recovery equipment for rear door pickup from C-130.
-Recovery intercept computer.
AIRBORNE EARLY WARNING RADAR - PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS
The existing airborne early warning and tracking radars of most interest to ALIAS are the APS-70, APS-96 and APS-111. The APS-96 Airborne Early Waring (AEW) radar has the desired performance capability and appears to be most readily available. The APS-96 acquisition range for a 10m2 target is 90% probability of detection at about 200 n.m. if the search is restricted to a particular azimuth.
The Cosmos class satellite radar cross section has been observed to range from 1 to 600 m2 at UHF frequencies.
The major APS-96 modifications which would be required to make this AEW radar compatible with the ALIAS mission are first the tilting of the antenna to acquire satellites 90-150 n.m. in attitude at a slant range of about 200 n.m. and, second, the modification of the radar receiver to accept target closing velocities on the order of 4.0 n.m. per second.
As the target azimuth will be known from ephemeris data and the airplane azimuth can be changed to accommodate the radar, a non-scanning radar mount is acceptable. This also allows the possibility of a side looking radar which eases the airplane antenna compatability problem.
...
"ALIAS – nice accronym, CIA. But please : if you really want to photograph a satellite or intercept it, from a C-130: there are better rockets out there, maxing out the Hercules 40 000 pound payload. Things like a 15 000 pound Agena with a solid rocket booster - and plenty payload to orbit: almost one metric ton."
The KGB headquarters
Alan Gordon illegals spy ring had done an even better job than usual. His report sent shivers down the spine of the KGB operatives that digested it; and the Soviet leadership that red the summary thereafters.
The Americans were utterly determined to get a shotgun marriage between a B-58 and a Minuteman; in passing, expanding their production beyond 116 Hustlers and one-thousand missiles.
Alan comprehensive report was far reaching: showing incredible prospects. For a start, the stretched B-58B canned in June 1959 would return; this time with TF30 turbofans, killing the FB-111A with similar engines.
Next, the revamped bomber would air-launch a Minuteman: reaching into space all the way from 65 to 1600 nautical miles high.
This, for General Shoemaker intertwined five core missions: spysat, satellite imaging, interception and destruction; spaceborne ABM.
Modifications to both Hustler and Minuteman would be kept to the minimum, slashing development costs.
From a 2 G pull-up from mach 2.4 level flight at 45,000 foot altitude, the flexible air-launching system could throw a 2000 pound spysat in a 65 nautical miles orbit, single or multiple pass.
While the spacecraft wouldn't last very long, ground resolution would be 3 feet.
...
PROJECT TOWN HALL – AIR LAUNCHED PHOTO RECONNAISSANCE SATELLITE
CONOPS
A-aircraft positions booster in orbital plane;
B-ballistic flight path with apogee at satellite altitude;
C-interception of a satellite is four dimensional : time, height, longitudinal, lateral.
D-boosters interception altitude capabilities
-Skybolt --------------------- 310 n.m
-Minuteman stage 2 - 3----- 510 n.m
-Polaris ---------------------- 930 n.m
-Modified Minuteman------ 1500 n.m
SYSTEM OPERATION
1-Pre-flight alert at Strategic Air Command bases.
2-B-58 prepared for flight
3-Missile guidance aligned and trimmed
4-Initial ephemeris and trajectory loaded
5-System check-out
6-System ground aligned and checked out
7-Missile guidance navigates self B-58 to launch area; pre-computed course.
8-Updated ephemeris entered
9-Launch command
10-Launch with precise velocity & vertical; position azimuth not critical
11-Launch point determined by guidance computer
12-Boost guidance by inertial measurements
13-Thrust termination not critical
14-Stellar fix for position & azimuth correction
15-Booster burns out with velocity in orbit plane
16-Interceptor separates from booster
17-Terminal phase
18-Interceptor, searches expected area
19-Target acquired at-50-80 n.mi.
20-Line-of-sight (LOS), relative bearing angular rate establighed
21-Interceptor yawed 90 degree from line of sight
22-Engine ignited to thrust toward orbit
23-When LOS rates zero vehicle yawed to thrust along los on colligion course
24-Warhead deployed on range to target basis
25-Vernier engine used for orbit adjustment or orbit transfer
26-Multiple pass capability enhanced by virtue of in-orbit
27-Trajectory adjust and de-orbit- re-entry vernier correction
...
CONCLUSION
ADO-40 – now called Project 437 - and various covert reconnaissance systems are being studied and evaluated by separate contractor and USAF groups. This dual separate approach may well result in choice of two systems: optimum for each mission, but entirely different in hardware items. The mobile launch concept is competitive for each mission and should be evaluated simultaneously by usaf personnel cognizant of both missions. Choice of mobile launch concept could lead to greatly reduced development costs, operational costs and reliability improvements through adoption of 2 standard boost: vehicle for dual purpose use.
FOOTNOTE
Project TOWN HALL as it presently stands already has incredibly disruptive potential. Yet consideration is given to add a Lockheed Agena to the baseline. This could make TOWN HALL even more groundbreaking: vastly improving performance and linking it to many space military vehicles.
...
AIR LAUNCHED INTELLIGENCE ACQUISITION SYSTEM (ALIAS)
CONOPS
-Align platforms
-Update ephemeris
-Turn across orbit plane
-Intercept altitude selectable between 90 and 150 n. mi - crossing velocity not exceeding 3000 fps.
-Eject missile from C-130 cargo hold
-Fire missile - 2 stage, 2 cluster - Terrier I sustainer
-Aircraft acquires target
-First-stage & fairings separate
-First-stage soft lands
-ALIAS vehicle acquires target
-Vehicle attitude adjusted
-Terminal correction motor fires
-Vehicle re-acquires target
-Photographic sequence
-Apogee.
-Flat-spin initiated
-Flat-spin stopped
-Recovery chute deployed.
-C-130 recovers ALIAS vehicle
...
The function to be performed by the Air Launched Intelligence Acquisition System (ALIAS) guidance system is the positioning of the payload at the offset distance from the satellite trajectory which is compatible with the chosen sensor capabilities. For a desired 1 inch resolution capability, 5401 film, a 1 percent image motion compensation error, and a 7.5" diameter, 40" focal length optical system, the desired offset distance is 3000 ft and the allowable one sigma guidance error is 1500 ft. The selection of the intercept region along the satellite trajectory will be based on ephemeris data.
A C-130 Hercules is to be modified as below.
-sealed launch duct for rearward extraction at 35,000 ft altitude.
-HF radio for latest SPADATS 66 data.
-AN/ASN-59 Litton Stellar inertial navigation system aboard aircraft, (or Nortronics NAS-14).
-AN-APS-96 airborne radar (similar to the E-2B Hawkeye) modified to match satellite tracking and C-130 aircraft installation requirements;
-Northrop - ALOTS optical tracking system.
-All American Engineering model 90 recovery equipment for rear door pickup from C-130.
-Recovery intercept computer.
AIRBORNE EARLY WARNING RADAR - PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS
The existing airborne early warning and tracking radars of most interest to ALIAS are the APS-70, APS-96 and APS-111. The APS-96 Airborne Early Waring (AEW) radar has the desired performance capability and appears to be most readily available. The APS-96 acquisition range for a 10m2 target is 90% probability of detection at about 200 n.m. if the search is restricted to a particular azimuth.
The Cosmos class satellite radar cross section has been observed to range from 1 to 600 m2 at UHF frequencies.
The major APS-96 modifications which would be required to make this AEW radar compatible with the ALIAS mission are first the tilting of the antenna to acquire satellites 90-150 n.m. in attitude at a slant range of about 200 n.m. and, second, the modification of the radar receiver to accept target closing velocities on the order of 4.0 n.m. per second.
As the target azimuth will be known from ephemeris data and the airplane azimuth can be changed to accommodate the radar, a non-scanning radar mount is acceptable. This also allows the possibility of a side looking radar which eases the airplane antenna compatability problem.
...
"ALIAS – nice accronym, CIA. But please : if you really want to photograph a satellite or intercept it, from a C-130: there are better rockets out there, maxing out the Hercules 40 000 pound payload. Things like a 15 000 pound Agena with a solid rocket booster - and plenty payload to orbit: almost one metric ton."
TOWN HALL and ALIAS were OTL projects of the Air Force and CIA, respectively. TOWN HALL has long been the basis of my fictional HIGH TOWN, but ALIAS came as a complete surprise : browsing the CIA online archive.
Long story short, imagine a C-130 turned E-2 Hawkeye, same APS-96 and rotodome, except modified to scan 200 nautical miles vertically - into space, rather than horizontally, scanning airspace for F-14 Tomcats.
Then the same C-130 would have a torpedo-like launch tube stuck in its cargo hold and through the doors. Once the APS-96 radar has pinned down a Soviet satellite, the rocket would be expelled, pop a parachute, then launch on a suborbital trajectory : just passing by, with tremendous closing velocities. It would snap a few pictures of the commie sat and then reenter for recovery of the camera and film.
You may ask, why the hassle ? Why not just co-orbit... SAINT / ASAT style ? Well, the CIA being the CIA I presume they wanted plausible denial if the Soviet got pissed.
"So we can't have Hercules flying below your satellites orbital tracks... oh, really ?"
Weird business, really. Then again - it's the CIA and it's ALIAS, we are talking about.
en.wikipedia.org
Long story short, imagine a C-130 turned E-2 Hawkeye, same APS-96 and rotodome, except modified to scan 200 nautical miles vertically - into space, rather than horizontally, scanning airspace for F-14 Tomcats.
Then the same C-130 would have a torpedo-like launch tube stuck in its cargo hold and through the doors. Once the APS-96 radar has pinned down a Soviet satellite, the rocket would be expelled, pop a parachute, then launch on a suborbital trajectory : just passing by, with tremendous closing velocities. It would snap a few pictures of the commie sat and then reenter for recovery of the camera and film.
You may ask, why the hassle ? Why not just co-orbit... SAINT / ASAT style ? Well, the CIA being the CIA I presume they wanted plausible denial if the Soviet got pissed.
"So we can't have Hercules flying below your satellites orbital tracks... oh, really ?"
Weird business, really. Then again - it's the CIA and it's ALIAS, we are talking about.
Alias (TV series) - Wikipedia
"Aerospaceplane was the ultimate objective: single-stage-to-orbit, right off a runway. But present technological state-of-the-art won't allow us to built that. Still I was looking at the B-70 Valkyrie and got a profound realization.
"We need to build a partially reusable Aerospaceplane; but that's not enough. It needs a national priority mission; preferably one that launches a lot of satellites. There, TOWN HALL put me on the right track, albeit something was still missing. That something is the Agena, because it anchors my hypothetical RLV to one key mission: the National Reconnaissance Program.
"One might object that present Agena spysats are riding expendable rockets to orbit, and doing very well that way. Fair enough, but the story doesn't stop there.
"The final element in the puzzle is RHEINBERRY. A mix of suborbital flight; near real time, crisis reconnaissance; and air-launch. Way to go: I had found my RLV anchor mission."
"We need to build a partially reusable Aerospaceplane; but that's not enough. It needs a national priority mission; preferably one that launches a lot of satellites. There, TOWN HALL put me on the right track, albeit something was still missing. That something is the Agena, because it anchors my hypothetical RLV to one key mission: the National Reconnaissance Program.
"One might object that present Agena spysats are riding expendable rockets to orbit, and doing very well that way. Fair enough, but the story doesn't stop there.
"The final element in the puzzle is RHEINBERRY. A mix of suborbital flight; near real time, crisis reconnaissance; and air-launch. Way to go: I had found my RLV anchor mission."
This document is the closest Lockheed came from my fictional HIGH TOWN system. A-12, Polaris and CORONA : all of them Lockheed. Agena is mentionned a few times (page 24, 25 and 51), but only at components level : not the full stage.
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martinbayer
ACCESS: Top Secret
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I am highly wary of the potential impact of even semi external payloads on B-70 maximum Mach performance.
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Check that huge belly fairing. TBH I wonder, too, how much impact it would have had on performance.
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Scott Kenny
ACCESS: Above Top Secret
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It was apparently designed to pack a pair of Skybolts under each wing.
martinbayer
ACCESS: Top Secret
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Live and learn... - I was always weary of those B-70/X-15 combos, because I thought the B-70 had to be aerodynamically clean for its specified speed performance, but I may have been too pessimistic...
Nope, for the X-15 you are right : it doesn't made any sense, for so many reasons.
- For example, it was mounted the exact same way as the D-21 drone on its SR-71, and in July 1966 it ended very badly.
- More generally, the X-15 not being an airbreather (ramjet, scramjet) really didn't needed the B-70 extra performance.
On the other hand, if that big belly fairing is streamlined enough to preserve Mach 3 (and that's a big if) then the B-70 could really become a major Mach 3 carrier for all kind of interesting aerospace vehicles. The Valkyrie had it all : the huge size and weight, and the velocity.
- For example, it was mounted the exact same way as the D-21 drone on its SR-71, and in July 1966 it ended very badly.
- More generally, the X-15 not being an airbreather (ramjet, scramjet) really didn't needed the B-70 extra performance.
On the other hand, if that big belly fairing is streamlined enough to preserve Mach 3 (and that's a big if) then the B-70 could really become a major Mach 3 carrier for all kind of interesting aerospace vehicles. The Valkyrie had it all : the huge size and weight, and the velocity.
On the scale of the Milky Way, the Moon was a pretty insignificant target.
This fact however was evenly balanced by its age – 4 billion years.
Which statistically ensured that Earth satellite had been, once in a while, impacted by all kind of interesting stuff. Things like Mars and Venus rocks, Chicxulub debris, metallic asteroids, cometary water...
This fact however was evenly balanced by its age – 4 billion years.
Which statistically ensured that Earth satellite had been, once in a while, impacted by all kind of interesting stuff. Things like Mars and Venus rocks, Chicxulub debris, metallic asteroids, cometary water...
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