Keyhole satellite projects

FULCRUM is predecessor project to KH-9 HEXAGON
on initiative of CIA, but operated by NRO.
It began in may 1963 as in-house CIA effort. to replace CORONA and failed SAMOS E-6

This Spy Sat project was unusual im many way.
CIA wanted to use modified Titan II launcher instead Atlas-Agena used by NRO.
with Mass of 5500 lb. using reaction wheels and hydrogen peroxide fuelled RCS to stabilise the spacecraft.
Operational time was limits to 8 day do use battery and used single new build return capsule.

The camera system was similar to HEXAGON design, to build by ITEK corp.
Planned with camera resolution of 2 to 4 feet.
CIA consider to increase later the camera resolution, so the FULCRUM could replace CORONA and GAMBIT.

in 1964 the Titan III was study as backup for Titan II.

1965 the Perkin-Elmer corp. was ask to make independent approach on FULCRUM Cameras.
Because ITEK run into problem with Camera system, so far that Eastman-Kodak was called to Help them !
ITEK terminate their FULCRUM contract and project was handed to Perkin-Elmer corp.
while Eastman-Kodak ende cooperation and start work on DORIAN (MOL) camera system.
the contracts for hardware are give to Lockheed (sat) and McDonnell/Douglas (return vehicle)
around 1968 ended funding for FULCRUM because,
in meantime emerge HEXAGON out FULCRUM, with Camera system by Perkin-Elmer corp.
but much heavier with more reentry capsule and launch by Titan IIIC rocket
 

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WS117L
DISCOVERER
SAMOS E1 E2 (E3) E4 E5 E6
CORONA
ARGON
LANYARD
GAMBIT-1
GAMBIT-3
HEXAGON
DORIAN
KENNEN
 
It took under CORONA 14 Discoverer missions to get first picture from space on August 18, 1960.
 

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Corona gets a fair bit of coverage in this.

Aerial Photography: An Overview

Dec 5, 2023
Did you know that to get photos from the air someone built a camera that could fit on a pigeon? Really it’s true, and people have attached cameras to kites, sent people with camera equipment up in hot air balloons, and even developed specialized reconnaissance aircraft that could hold a pilot and a photographer. Pictures from the air have become important for spying, search and rescue, tracking changes on Earth, and even identifying archaeological sites!
Click to expand...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzkvK-Wz02g
 
jsport said:
breakingdefense.com

NRO should concentrate on bigger, badder 'tripwire' ISR birds, new report urges - Breaking Defense

Meanwhile, the report says, the Space Force should be in charge of pursuing large networks of small satellites under the Space Development Agency's Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) — differentiating its "tactical ISR" job from the "strategic" mission of NRO.
breakingdefense.com breakingdefense.com
Click to expand...
Writer seems to be unaware of how orbital mechanics times number of places of interest mean that you do need a large number of satellites, whether these mini constellations or pointing Hubble at Earth.
 

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