KH-8 Gambit 3
Mission type | Imagery intelligence | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Operator | National Reconnaissance Office | ||||||
Spacecraft properties | |||||||
Manufacturer |
| ||||||
Launch mass | 4100 kg (on orbit) | ||||||
Dimensions | 14.75 m × 1.52 m (48.4 ft × 5.0 ft) | ||||||
Start of mission | |||||||
Rocket | SLC-4E | ||||||
Contractor | Martin Marietta | ||||||
Orbital parameters | |||||||
Reference system | Sun-synchronous orbit | ||||||
Regime | Low Earth orbit | ||||||
Perigee altitude | 135 km (84 mi) | ||||||
Apogee altitude | 305 km (190 mi) | ||||||
Inclination | 110.5° | ||||||
Main telescope | |||||||
Type | Aspheric reflector with five-element Near-infrared | ||||||
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The KH-8 (
The Gambit codename was also used by the satellite's predecessor, the KH-7 Gambit.
Gambit 3 satellites were the same width as the Gambit 1 models, but also slightly longer – reaching about 29 feet (8.8 m) in length. They carried 12,241 feet (3,731 meters) of film and were designed for longer missions of up to 31 days.[5]
While Gambit was primarily designed and operated as a surveillance satellite, capturing high definition images of specific targets at low orbital altitudes, a single Gambit Block 3 mission was operated in 'dual-mode', orbiting first at a higher altitude to capture wide-area search imagery before lowering its perigee to capture normal surveillance imagery. The first film return capsule failed to separate correctly due to a new pyro mechanism failing to perform correctly. The contingency release mechanism separated the film bucket and parachute from its return capsule, and left the film bucket stranded in orbit. In September 2002, the film bucket re-entered over the South Atlantic into deep water. As the film bucket lacked its protective heatshield or the parachute needed to slow its descent, no attempt was made to recover it.[6]
Camera Optics Module
The Camera Optics Module of KH-8 consists of four cameras.
The main camera of KH-8B (introduced in 1971) with a focal length of 175.6 in (4.46 m) is a single strip camera, designed to gather high-resolution images of ground targets. In the strip camera the ground image is reflected by a steerable flat mirror to a 1.21 m (48 in) diameter stationary
The films used by GAMBIT were provided by
Missions
Name | Block[15] | Launch Date | Alt. Name | NSSDC ID No.
|
Launch Vehicle | Orbit | Decay date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
KH8-1 | I | 1966-07-29 | OPS-3014 | 1966-069A | Titan IIIB | 158.0 km × 250.0 km, i=94.1° | 1966-08-06[16] |
KH8-2 | I | 1966-09-28 | OPS-4096 | 1966-086A | Titan IIIB | ||
KH8-3 | I | 1966-12-14 | OPS-8968 | 1966-113A | Titan IIIB | ||
KH8-4 | I | 1967-02-24 | OPS-4204 | 1967-016A | Titan IIIB | ||
KH8-5 | I | 1967-04-26 | OPS-4243 | 1967-F04, 1967-003X | Titan IIIB | no stable orbit | 1967-04-26 |
KH8-6 | I | 1967-06-20 | OPS-4282 | 1967-064A | Titan IIIB | ||
KH8-7 | I | 1967-08-16 | OPS-4886 | 1967-079A | Titan IIIB | ||
KH8-8 | I | 1967-09-19 | OPS-4941 | 1967-090A | Titan IIIB | ||
KH8-9 | I | 1967-10-25 | OPS-4995 | 1967-103A | Titan IIIB | ||
KH8-10 | I | 1967-12-05 | OPS-5000 | 1967-121A | Titan IIIB | ||
KH8-11 | I | 1968-01-18 | OPS-5028 | 1968-005A | Titan IIIB | ||
KH8-12 | I | 1968-03-13 | OPS-5057 | 1968-018A | Titan IIIB | ||
KH8-13 | I | 1968-04-17 | OPS-5105 | 1968-031A | Titan IIIB | ||
KH8-14 | I | 1968-06-05 | OPS-5138 | 1968-047A | Titan IIIB | ||
KH8-15 | I | 1968-08-06 | OPS-5187 | 1968-064A | Titan IIIB | ||
KH8-16 | I | 1968-09-10 | OPS-5247 | 1968-074A | Titan IIIB | ||
KH8-17 | I | 1968-11-06 | OPS-5296 | 1968-099A | Titan IIIB | ||
KH8-18 | I | 1968-12-04 | OPS-6518 | 1968-108A | Titan IIIB | ||
KH8-19 | I | 1969-01-22 | OPS-7585 | 1969-007A | Titan IIIB | ||
KH8-20 | I | 1969-03-04 | OPS-4248 | 1969-019A | Titan IIIB | ||
KH8-21 | I | 1969-04-15 | OPS-5310 | 1969-039A | Titan IIIB | ||
KH8-22 | I | 1969-06-03 | OPS-1077 | 1969-050A | Titan IIIB | ||
KH8-23 | II | 1969-08-23 | OPS-7807 | 1969-074A | Titan 23B | ||
KH8-24 | II | 1969-10-24 | OPS-8455 | 1969-095A | Titan 23B | ||
KH8-25 | II | 1970-01-14 | OPS-6531 | 1970-002A | Titan 23B | ||
KH8-26 | II | 1970-04-15 | OPS-2863 | 1970-031A | Titan 23B | ||
KH8-27 | II | 1970-06-25 | OPS-6820 | 1970-048A | Titan 23B | ||
KH8-28 | II | 1970-08-18 | OPS-7874 | 1970-061A | Titan 23B | ||
KH8-29 | II | 1970-10-23 | OPS-7568 | 1970-090A | Titan 23B | ||
KH8-30 | II | 1971-01-21 | OPS-7776 | 1971-005A | Titan 23B | 139.0 km × 418.0 km, i=110.8° | 1971-02-09[17] |
KH8-31 | II | 1971-04-22 | OPS-7899 | 1971-033A | Titan 23B | 132.0 km × 401.0 km, i=110.9° | 1971-05-13[18] |
KH8-32 | II | 1971-08-12 | OPS-8607 | 1971-070A | Titan 24B | 137.0 km × 424.0 km, i=111.0° | 1971-09-03[19] |
KH8-33 | II | 1971-10-23 | OPS-7616 | 1971-092A | Titan 24B | 134.0 km × 416.0 km, i=110.9° | 1971-11-17[20] |
KH8-34 | II | 1972-03-17 | OPS-1678 | 1972-016A | Titan 24B | 131.0 km × 409.0 km, i=111.0° | 1972-04-11[21] |
KH8-35 | II | 1972-05-20 | OPS-6574 | 1972-F03 | Titan 24B | failed to reach orbit | |
KH8-36 | II | 1972-09-01 | OPS-8888 | 1972-068A | Titan 24B | 140.0 km × 380.0 km, i=110.5° | 1972-09-30[22] |
KH8-37 | III | 1972-12-21 | OPS-3978 | 1972-103A | Titan 24B | 139.0 km × 378.0 km, i=110.5° | 1973-01-23[23] |
KH8-38 | III | 1973-05-16 | OPS-2093 | 1973-028A | Titan 24B | 139.0 km × 399.0 km, i=110.5° | 1973-06-13[24] |
KH8-39 | III | 1973-06-26 | OPS-4018 | 1973-F04 | Titan 24B | failed to reach orbit | (mix-up with KH8-38 in NSSDC) |
KH8-40 | III | 1973-09-27 | OPS-6275 | 1973-068A | Titan 24B | 131.0 km × 385.0 km, i=110.5° | 1973-10-29[25] |
KH8-41 | III | 1974-02-13 | OPS-6889 | 1974-007A | Titan 24B | 134.0 km × 393.0 km, i=110.4° | 1974-03-17[26] |
KH8-42 | III | 1974-06-06 | OPS-1776 | 1974-042A | Titan 24B | 136.0 km × 394.0 km, i=110.5° | 1974-07-24[27] |
KH8-43 | III | 1974-08-14 | OPS-3004 | 1974-065A | Titan 24B | 135.0 km × 402.0 km, i=110.5° | 1974-09-29[28] |
KH8-44 | III | 1975-04-18 | OPS-4883 | 1975-032A | Titan 24B | 134.0 km × 401.0 km, i=110.5° | 1975-06-05[29] |
KH8-45 | III | 1975-10-09 | OPS-5499 | 1975-098A | Titan 24B | 125.0 km × 356.0 km, i=96.4° | 1975-11-30[30] |
KH8-46 | III | 1976-03-22 | OPS-7600 | 1976-027A | Titan 24B | 125.0 km × 347.0 km, i=96.4° | 1976-05-18[31] |
KH8-47 | III | 1976-09-15 | OPS-8533 | 1976-094A | Titan 24B | 135.0 km × 330.0 km, i=96.4° | 1976-11-05[32] |
KH8-48 | IV | 1977-03-13 | OPS-4915 | 1977-019A | Titan 24B | 124.0 km × 348.0 km, i=96.4° | 1977-05-26[33] |
KH8-49 | IV | 1977-09-23 | OPS-7471 | 1977-094A | Titan 24B | 125.0 km × 352.0 km, i=96.5° | 1977-12-08[34] |
KH8-50 | IV | 1979-05-28 | OPS-7164 | 1979-044A | Titan 24B | 124.0 km × 305.0 km, i=96.4° | 1979-08-26[35] |
KH8-51 | IV | 1981-02-28 | OPS-1166 | 1981-019A | Titan 24B | 138.0 km × 336.0 km, i=96.4° | 1981-06-20[36] |
KH8-52 | IV | 1982-01-21 | OPS-2849 | 1982-006A | Titan 24B | 630.0 km × 641.0 km, i=97.4° | 1982-05-23[37] |
KH8-53 | IV | 1983-04-15 | OPS-2925 | 1983-032A | Titan 24B | 124.0 km × 254.0 km, i=96.5° | 1983-08-21[38] |
KH8-54 | IV | 1984-04-17 | OPS-8424 | 1984-039A | Titan 24B | 127.0 km × 235.0 km, i=96.4° | 1984-08-13[39] |
(NSSDC ID Numbers: See
Notable Missions
In May 1973 Gambit KH8-38 was used to observe the crippled Skylab space station, as part of the preparation for repairing it by the Skylab 2 mission.[14]
Cost
The total cost of the 54 flight KH-8 program from FY1964 to FY1985, without non-recurring costs, was US$2.3 billion in respective year dollars.[15]
Other U.S. imaging spy satellites
- KH-4
- KH-6LANYARD
- KH-7 Gambit and KH-8 GAMBIT
- KH-9 Hexagon "Big Bird"
- KH-10
- Misty (classified project), Enhanced Imaging System
References
- Mark Wade (August 9, 2003). KH-8. Encyclopedia Astronautica. Accessed April 23, 2004.
- KH-8 Gambit. GlobalSecurity.org
- ^ "GAMBIT 3 KH-8 Reconnaissance Satellite". National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
- ISBN 978-0-688-06753-3.
- ^ Global Security Space Systems IMINT Overview LASP
- ^ a b c "The GAMBIT Story". National Reconnaissance Office. June 1991. Archived from the original on September 15, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2011.
- ^ "Declassified US Spy Satellites from Cold War Land in Ohio". Space.com. January 28, 2012. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
- ^ "GAMBIT_Dual_Mode". www.nro.gov. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
- ^ a b "KH-8 Camera System". National Reconnaissance Office. 1970. Archived from the original on September 15, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2011.
- ^ Day, Dwayne A. (November 29, 2010). "Ike's gambit: The development and operations of the KH-7 and KH-8 spy satellites". www.thespacereview.com. Retrieved January 25, 2009.
- ^ "KODAK PLUS-X AERECON II Film 3404" (PDF). Kodak. November 28, 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 6, 2013.
- ^ "KODAK AERECON High Altitude Film 3409" (PDF). Kodak. November 28, 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 10, 2014.
- .
- ^ Evvard, John (December 1, 1968). "Atmospheric Turbulence Limits on the Observational Capabilities of Aerospacecraft". NASA Technical Note. NASA-TN-D-4940. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
- ^ Day, Dwayne Allen (June 11, 2012). "Out of the black". The Space Review. Retrieved June 11, 2012.
- ^ a b Day, Dwayne (May 20, 2013). "Those magnificent spooks and their spying machine: The spies help rescue Skylab". The Space Review. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
- ^ a b "The GAMBIT story". National Reconnaissance Office. June 1991. Archived from the original on October 7, 2017. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
- ^ "KH 8-01". NASA National Space Science Data Center. October 8, 2010.
- ^ "KH 8-30". NASA National Space Science Data Center. October 8, 2010.
- ^ "KH 8-31". NASA National Space Science Data Center. October 8, 2010.
- ^ "KH 8-32". NASA National Space Science Data Center. October 8, 2010.
- ^ "KH 8-33". NASA National Space Science Data Center. October 8, 2010.
- ^ "KH 8-34". NASA National Space Science Data Center. October 8, 2010.
- ^ "KH 8-36". NASA National Space Science Data Center. October 8, 2010.
- ^ "KH 8-37". NASA National Space Science Data Center. October 8, 2010.
- ^ "KH 8-38". NASA National Space Science Data Center. October 8, 2010.
- ^ "KH 8-40". NASA National Space Science Data Center. October 8, 2010.
- ^ "KH 8-41". NASA National Space Science Data Center. October 8, 2010.
- ^ "KH 8-42". NASA National Space Science Data Center. October 8, 2010.
- ^ "KH 8-43". NASA National Space Science Data Center. October 8, 2010.
- ^ "KH 8-44". NASA National Space Science Data Center. October 8, 2010.
- ^ "KH 8-45". NASA National Space Science Data Center. October 8, 2010.
- ^ "KH 8-46". NASA National Space Science Data Center. October 8, 2010.
- ^ "KH 8-47". NASA National Space Science Data Center. October 8, 2010.
- ^ "KH 8-48". NASA National Space Science Data Center. October 8, 2010.
- ^ "KH 8-49". NASA National Space Science Data Center. October 8, 2010.
- ^ "KH 8-50". NASA National Space Science Data Center. October 8, 2010.
- ^ "KH 8-51". NASA National Space Science Data Center. October 8, 2010.
- ^ "KH 8-52". NASA National Space Science Data Center. October 8, 2010.
- ^ "KH 8-53". NASA National Space Science Data Center. October 8, 2010.
- ^ "KH 8-54". NASA National Space Science Data Center. October 8, 2010.