Project ZOSTER?

[Dynoman]

While digging through CIA CREST files I found an error in one page of a document. In the location that the word SECRET was typed in all of the other pages, the word ZOSTER was typed. A redacted word after IDEALIST (U-2) and OXCART (A-12) was used to describe the contents of the pages.

Was ZOSTER a secret project?

The document describes (in addition to a U-2 and an A-12 type vehicles), describes a low altitude, quiet aircraft as well as a balloon type vehicle. Any ideas or has anyone heard of ZOSTER before?
https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP67B00511R000100110007-2.pdf

 

[robunos]

The only things that spring to mind are the Lockheed QT-2PC and YO-3, and the Hughes 500P 'Quiet One'. But both these seem to have been started no earlier than 1968 and the date I can see on the report you've linked to is 1964 . . .

cheers,
Robin.

 

[quellish]

While digging through CIA CREST files I found an error in one page of a document. In the location that the word SECRET was typed in all of the other pages, the word ZOSTER was typed. A redacted word after IDEALIST (U-2) and OXCART (A-12) was used to describe the contents of the pages.

Was ZOSTER a secret project?

The document describes (in addition to a U-2 and an A-12 type vehicles), describes a low altitude, quiet aircraft as well as a balloon type vehicle. Any ideas or has anyone heard of ZOSTER before?
https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP67B00511R000100110007-2.pdf

My best guess would be that ZOSTER is a cryptonym for a generic overhead reconnaissance compartment.
The silent aircraft may be related to GREENHOUSE, which evolved into the Quiet Star and YO-3. These were DARPA and Army programs that started moving around 1966-67. It is certainly possible that these efforts began within the intelligence community.

 

[GeorgeA]

Zoster is also the herpes variant that gives you chicken pox (and at my age, shingles).

 

[Archibald]

ZOSTER and ZAMAN were forerunner of KENNEN, that is: the KH-11 spysat.

"zoster" site:www.nro.gov - Google Search