KH-7 Gambit
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/KH7launch.jpg/220px-KH7launch.jpg)
In its summary report following the conclusion of the program, the
GAMBIT emerged in 1962 as an alternative to the less-than-successful CORONA and the completely failed SAMOS, although CORONA was not cancelled and in fact continued operating alongside the newer program into the early 1970s. While CORONA used the Thor-Agena launch vehicle family, GAMBIT would be launched on Atlas-Agena, the booster used for SAMOS. After the improved KH-8 GAMBIT-3 satellite was developed during 1965, operations shifted to the larger Titan IIIB launch vehicle.
System configuration
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/KH-7_GAMBIT_1_02.jpg/220px-KH-7_GAMBIT_1_02.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/KH-7_GAMBIT_1_01.jpg/220px-KH-7_GAMBIT_1_01.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/GAMBIT_ReconnaissanceSystem.tiff/lossy-page1-220px-GAMBIT_ReconnaissanceSystem.tiff.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c0/KH7GambitDisplayNationalMuseumUSAF.jpg/220px-KH7GambitDisplayNationalMuseumUSAF.jpg)
Each GAMBIT-1 satellite was about 15 ft (4.6 m) long, 5 ft (1.5 m) wide, weighed about 1,154 lb (523 kg), and carried about 3,000 ft (910 m) of film.[3]
A feasibility study for the Geodetic Orbital Photographic Satellite System reveals three subsystems for U.S. optical reconnaissance satellites in the 1960s: the Orbital (or Orbiting) Control Vehicle (OCV), the Data Collection Module (DCM), and the Recovery Section (RS).[4] For the KH-7, the DCM is also called the Camera Optics Module (COM), and is integrated in the OCV, which has a length of 5.5 m (18 ft) and a diameter of 1.52 m (5 ft 0 in).[5]
Camera Optics Module
The Camera Optics Module of KH-7 consists of three cameras: a single strip camera, a stellar camera, and an index camera.
In the strip camera the ground image is reflected by a steerable flat mirror to a 1.21 m (4 ft 0 in) diameter stationary
The index camera is a copy of cameras systems previously used in the KH-4 and KH-6 satellites, and takes exposures of Earth in direction of the vehicle roll position for attitude determination. The stellar camera takes images of star fields with a reseau grid being superimposed on the image plane.[6] The S/I camera was provided by Itek, and horizon sensors were provided by Barnes Engineering Co.[1]
Orbital Control Vehicle and Recovery Vehicle
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/50/KH_film_recovery.jpg/220px-KH_film_recovery.jpg)
The primary contractor for the Orbital Control Vehicle and the Recovery Vehicle was
Mission
All KH-7 satellites were launched from Point Arguello, which became part of Vandenberg Air Force Base in July 1964. KH-7 satellites flew 38 missions, numbered 4001-4038, of which 34 returned film, and of these, 30 returned usable imagery. Mission duration was 1 to 8 days.[9] KH-7 satellites logged a total of almost 170 operational days in orbit.[1]
Functionality
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/KH7_ShuanchengtzuMissileCenterA19670529.png/220px-KH7_ShuanchengtzuMissileCenterA19670529.png)
A high-resolution instrument, the KH-7 took detailed pictures of "hot spots" and most of its photographs are of Chinese and Soviet nuclear and missile installations, with smaller amounts of coverage of cities and harbors.
In early 1964, the CIA toyed with the idea of using GAMBIT to photograph military installations in Cuba, but this was dismissed as unworkable as the satellites were primarily designed with higher-latitude Soviet territory in mind and because it would mean wasting an entire satellite on the Latin America-Caribbean area which had little else of interest to U.S. intelligence services. It was decided that U-2 spyplane flights were adequate to provide coverage of Cuban activity.
ELINT subsatellite
Mission 4009 included an
List of launches
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/33/1960s_Atlas-Agena_KH-7_SLC-4_07838K.jpg/220px-1960s_Atlas-Agena_KH-7_SLC-4_07838K.jpg)
Name | Mission No. | Launch Date | Alt. Name | NSSDC ID No.
|
Launch Vehicle | Perigee (km) | Apogee (km) | Inclination (deg) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
KH7-1 | 4001 | 1963-07-12 | OPS-1467 | 1963-028A | Atlas-Agena D | 164 | 164 | 95.4 |
KH7-2 | 4002 | 1963-09-06 | OPS-1947 | 1963-036A | Atlas Agena D | 168 | 263 | 94.4 |
KH7-3 | 4003 | 1963-10-25 | OPS-2196 | 1963-041A | Atlas Agena D | 144 | 332 | 99.1 |
KH7-4 | 4004 | 1963-12-18 | OPS-2372 | 1963-051A | Atlas Agena D | 122 | 266 | 97.9 |
KH7-5 | 4005 | 1964-02-25 | OPS-2423 | 1964-009A | Atlas Agena D | 173 | 190 | 95.7 |
KH7-6 | 4006 | 1964-03-11 | OPS-3435 | 1964-012A | Atlas Agena D | 163 | 203 | 95.8 |
KH7-7 | 4007 | 1964-04-23 | OPS-3743 | 1964-020A | Atlas Agena D | 150 | 366 | 103.6 |
KH7-8 | 4008 | 1964-05-19 | OPS-3592 | 1964-024A | Atlas Agena D | 141 | 380 | 101.1 |
KH7-9 | 4009 | 1964-07-06 | OPS-3684 | 1964-036A | Atlas Agena D | 121 | 346 | 92.9 |
KH7-10 | 4010 | 1964-08-14 | OPS-3802 | 1964-045A | SLV-3 Agena D | 149 | 307 | 95.5 |
KH7-11 | 4011 | 1964-09-23 | OPS-4262 | 1964-058A | SLV-3 Agena D | 145 | 303 | 92.9 |
KH7-12 | 4012 | 1964-10-08 | OPS-4036 | 1964-F11 | SLV-3 Agena D | --- | --- | --- |
KH7-13 | 4013 | 1964-10-23 | OPS-4384 | 1964-068A | Atlas Agena D | 139 | 271 | 88.6 |
KH7-14 | 4014 | 1964-12-04 | OPS-4439 | 1964-079A | SLV-3 Agena D | 158 | 357 | 97 |
KH7-15 | 4015 | 1965-01-23 | OPS-4703 | 1965-005A | SLV-3 Agena D | 146 | 291 | 102.5 |
KH7-16 | 4016 | 1965-03-12 | OPS-4920 | 1965-019A | SLV-3 Agena D | 93 | 155 | 0.0 |
KH7-17 | 4017 | 1965-04-28 | OPS-4983 | 1965-031A | SLV-3 Agena D | 180 | 259 | 95.7 |
KH7-18 | 4018 | 1965-05-27 | OPS-5236 | 1965-041A | SLV-3 Agena D | 149 | 267 | 95.8 |
KH7-19 | 4019 | 1965-06-25 | OPS-5501 | 1965-050B | SLV-3 Agena D | 151 | 283 | 107.6 |
KH7-20 | 4020 | 1965-07-12 | OPS-5810 | 1965-F07 | SLV-3 Agena D | --- | --- | --- |
KH7-21 | 4021 | 1965-08-03 | OPS-5698 | 1965-062A | SLV-3 Agena D | 149 | 307 | 107.5 |
KH7-22 | 4022 | 1965-09-30 | OPS-7208 | 1965-076A | SLV-3 Agena D | 98 | 164 | 95.6 |
KH7-23 | 4023 | 1965-11-08 | OPS-6232 | 1965-090B | SLV-3 Agena D | 145 | 277 | 93.9 |
KH7-24 | 4024 | 1966-01-19 | OPS-7253 | 1966-002A | SLV-3 Agena D | 150 | 269 | 93.9 |
KH7-25 | 4025 | 1966-02-15 | OPS-1184 | 1966-012A | SLV-3 Agena D | 148 | 293 | 96.5 |
KH7-26 | 4026 | 1966-03-18 | OPS-0879 | 1966-022A | SLV-3 Agena D | 162 | 208 | 101 |
KH7-27 | 4027 | 1966-04-19 | OPS-0910 | 1966-032A | SLV-3 Agena D | 139 | 312 | 116.9 |
KH7-28 | 4028 | 1966-05-14 | OPS-1950 | 1966-039A | SLV-3 Agena D | 133 | 358 | 110.5 |
KH7-29 | 4029 | 1966-06-03 | OPS-1577 | 1966-048A | SLV-3 Agena D | 143 | 288 | 86.9 |
KH7-30 | 4030 | 1966-07-12 | OPS-1850 | 1966-062A | SLV-3 Agena D | 137 | 236 | 95.5 |
KH7-31 | 4031 | 1966-08-16 | OPS-1832 | 1966-074A | SLV-3 Agena D | 146 | 358 | 93.3 |
KH7-32 | 4032 | 1966-09-16 | OPS-1686 | 1966-083A | SLV-3 Agena D | 148 | 333 | 93.9 |
KH7-33 | 4033 | 1966-10-12 | OPS-2055 | 1966-090A | SLV-3 Agena D | 155 | 287 | 91 |
KH7-34 | 4034 | 1966-11-02 | OPS-2070 | 1966-098A | SLV-3 Agena D | 159 | 305 | 91 |
KH7-35 | 4035 | 1966-12-05 | OPS-1890 | 1966-109A | SLV-3 Agena D | 137 | 388 | 104.6 |
KH7-36 | 4036 | 1967-02-02 | OPS-4399 | 1967-007A | SLV-3 Agena D | 136 | 357 | 102.4 |
KH7-37 | 4037 | 1967-05-22 | OPS-4321 | 1967-050A | SLV-3 Agena D | 135 | 293 | 91.5 |
KH7-38 | 4038 | 1967-06-04 | OPS-4360 | 1967-055A | SLV-3 Agena D | 149 | 456 | 104.8 |
(NSSDC ID Numbers: See
History
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/1960s_Atlas-Agena-KH-7_SLC-4_09892K.jpg/220px-1960s_Atlas-Agena-KH-7_SLC-4_09892K.jpg)
- Section source: Space Review[7]
GAMBIT marked the first use of next-generation launch vehicle systems as Convair and Lockheed, the builders of the Atlas-Agena booster, began introducing improved, standardized launchers to replace the multitude of customized variants used up to 1963, which caused endless mix ups, poor reliability, and mission failures. This followed a recommendation by the Lewis Spaceflight Center in
In early 1963, the GAMBIT program began with failures. On 11 May 1963, the first GAMBIT satellite sat atop Atlas-Agena 190D on SLC-4W at Vandenberg Air Force Base awaiting launch. An air bubble formed while loading LOX into the booster and as soon as propellant filling was stopped, the bubble damaged the fill/drain valve. This quickly caused both the LOX and helium pressure gas to escape from the tank, depressurizing the Atlas's balloon skin and causing the entire launch vehicle to crumple to the ground. The RP-1 tank ruptured and spilled its contents onto the pad. There was no fire or explosion, but the Agena sustained minor damage and the satellite a considerable amount as the cameras were crushed in by impact with the ground and had their lenses destroyed. The pad itself was undamaged except for a steel beam cracked by exposure to the super-chilled LOX, which was repaired in two days. Fortunately, the satellite on the booster was not the same one planned for the actual launch and the payload shroud had also remained in one piece, preventing any unauthorized parties from seeing the GAMBIT. Secrecy surrounding the program was strict and knowledge of GAMBIT limited only to those directly involved in the program. While the early CORONA and SAMOS flights had been merely billed to the public as scientific missions, it became increasingly difficult to explain why they failed to return any scientific data. In late 1961, President John F. Kennedy ordered a veil of secrecy placed around the photoreconnaissance program and by GAMBIT's debut in 1963, DoD announcements described no details other than the launching of a "classified payload".
The Agena was sent back to Lockheed for repairs and a different Atlas (vehicle 201D) was used, and the first successful GAMBIT mission was launched on 12 July 1963. The launch vehicle performed perfectly and inserted GAMBIT into polar orbit with a 189 km (117 mi) altitude. The Air Force designated this mission number 4001.
GAMBIT mission 4003, was launched on 25 October 1963. The film canister was again ejected successfully after the photographic phase and the capsule recovered by an aircraft. Other tests were carried out with the OCV.
GAMBIT mission 4004 was launched and its film canister recovered on 18 December 1963. Missions 4005 through 4007 were also successful.
In May 1964, mission 4008 suffered major problems when the Agena did an unexplained roll during the boost phase. Even with OCV system problems, the film canister was able to return some imagery.
A variety of problems occurred with many of the remaining missions including poor or no imagery. Many of these difficulties were caused by the unreliable wire recording system carried by the GAMBITs (tape recorders were not yet in widespread use in the mid-1960s). Two satellites ended up in the Pacific Ocean. The first of them was 4012, launched on October 8, 1964. The Agena engine shut down after 1.5 seconds of operation and the GAMBIT did not attain orbit. An investigation of the failure found that an electrical short occurred in an engine relay box, resulting in a cutoff signal being issued 0.4 seconds after ignition. As soon as the engine arming command was stopped at 1.5 seconds, the Agena propulsion system shut down. Examination of factory records for the Agena found that a pair of metal screws from a little-used terminal connector had broken off and disappeared to parts unknown; it was speculated that they landed somewhere as to cause a short. Telemetry data indicated otherwise entirely normal performance of all Agena systems. The other failure was 4020, launched on 12 July 1965 when the Atlas programmer accidentally issued simultaneous SECO and BECO commands, the resultant propulsion system shutdown sending the launch vehicle into the Pacific Ocean some 1,090 km (680 mi) downrange. The latter was the first flight witnessed by newly arrived Brig. Gen John L. Martin who replaced Maj. Gen Robert Greer as head of the KH-7 program. Martin cracked down and began demanding higher workmanship and quality standards. He is credited with having significantly improved the success rate of the program.
It was noted that the GAMBIT flights through the first half of 1964 had been mostly successful, but a string of malfunctions occurred starting in the second half of the year and continuing through the first half of 1965. These included the two above-mentioned launch failures plus GAMBIT 4013 which did not return any imagery and GAMBIT 4014 which suffered a battery explosion. GAMBIT 4019 did not return any imagery either. Eventually, it was determined that the culprit was an extra structure added to the SLC-4W umbilical tower that sent resonant vibration through the Atlas-Agena stack at liftoff, jarring random components in the booster and/or spacecraft loose.
The KH-7 GAMBIT was an overall success, even with some failures; thus providing National Reconnaissance Office and the President with quality intelligence collection. Following KH-7 projects had greatly improved major upgrades in the spacecraft and its camera systems.
Cost
The total cost of the 38 flight KH-7 program from FY1963 to FY1967, without non-recurring costs, and excluding five GAMBIT cameras sold to NASA, was US$651.4 million in 1963 dollars (inflation adjusted US$ 6.48 billion present day).[17] Non-recurring costs for industrial facilities, development, and one-time support amounted to 24.3% of the total program cost, or US$209.1 million. The resulting total program costs were US$860.5 million in 1963 dollars (inflation adjusted US$ 8.56 billion present day).[1]
Other U.S. imaging spy satellites
- KH-4
- KH-5 ARGON
- KH-8 GAMBIT-3 (concurrent operations)
- Big Bird"
- Manned Orbital Laboratory
- KH-11 KENNEN, KH-12, KH-13
- SAMOS
See also
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Satellite imagery
- Cold War
- First images of Earth from space
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Summary Analysis of Program 206 (GAMBIT)" (PDF). National Reconnaissance Office. 29 August 1967. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 October 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Flashlights in the dark, The Space Review
- ^ "Declassified U.S. Spy Satellites from Cold War Land in Ohio". Space.com. 28 January 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
- ^ "Feasibility Study Final Report: Geodetic Optical Photographic Satellite System, Volume 2 Data Collection System" (PDF). National Reconnaissance Office. June 1966. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
- ^ Day, Dwayne A. (29 November 2010). "Black Apollo". thespacereview.com. Retrieved 17 December 2010.
- ^ a b "KH-7 Camera System- Part I". National Photographic Interpretation Center. July 1963. Archived from the original on 15 September 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
- ^ a b c Day, Dwayne A. (29 November 2010). "Ike's gambit: The development and operations of the KH-7 and KH-8 spy satellites". thespacereview.com. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
- ^ "Key Hole (KH)". Retrieved 4 November 2015.
- ^ "NRO review and redaction guide (2006 ed.)" (PDF). National Reconnaissance Office.
- ^ NARA ARC Archived 1 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine database description of "Keyhole-7 (KH-7) Satellite Imagery, 07/01/1963 - 06/30/1967", accession number NN3-263-02-011
- ^ "National Archives Releases Recently Declassified Satellite Imagery". National Archives and Records Administration press release. 9 October 2002.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ edc.usgs.gov Archived 2007-06-30 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Historical imagery declassification". National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 7 October 2007.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "1964-036B". NASA. 8 October 2010.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Day, Dwayne (27 April 2009). "Robotic ravens: American ferret satellite operations during the Cold War". The Space Review.
- ^ "Appendix C - Glossary of Code Words and Terms". National Reconnaissance Office Review and Redaction Guide (Technical report). National Reconnaissance Office. 2008. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 November 2023.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "The GAMBIT story". National Reconnaissance Office. June 1991. Archived from the original on 7 October 2017. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- Mark Wade (9 August 2003) KH-7 Encyclopedia Astronautica Accessed April 23, 2004
- KH-7 GAMBIT GlobalSecurity.org
- Gallery of KH-7 pictures at USGS
- NIMA 2002 Declassification FAQ (mirror at GlobalSecurity.org)
External links
- US Geological Survey Satellite Images: Photographic imagery from KH-7 Surveillance and KH-9 Mapping system (1963 to 1980)