Project SAINT
Project SAINT | |
---|---|
SAtellite INTerceptor | |
anti-satellite capabilities. | |
Location | Colorado Springs |
Project coordinator | NORAD |
Budget |
|
Duration | c. 1957 – December 1962 |
Project SAINT (an acronym formed from "SAtellite INTerceptor")
Calls for an anti-satellite weapon started days after the launch of
President Kennedy inherited SAINT, and in keeping with his policy of achieving a technical lead over the Soviets, allowed hardware development to begin. By late 1962 the program was already significantly over budget and still far from a testable system. By this time it was clear the Soviets were not developing the claimed space-based warheads and the need for such an expensive system to counter non-weapon spacecraft could not be justified. As a result of advances in countermeasures on Soviet satellites, alongside the development of cheaper anti-satellite methods, the concept was rendered unsuitable.
History
The project was created after the
Project phases
The project was broken into three phases. Phase one was to create a satellite that could meet and inspect another satellite of 1 square meter (11 sq ft)
Developments
The project included the building of a SAINT operation center within the
The study undertaken by the Space Technology Laboratory suggested the use of a
The third phase of the project included several elements such as a powerful main engine whose propellant was
The concept was for the satellite to be launched ahead of its target, so that the target would come close to it. After this the Agena would be used as fuel to put the SAINT in a co-orbit with its target, and then the SAINT would locate the target using its long range radar, and jettison its Agena once it had acquired the target. Then within the next 8 to 12 minutes the SAINT's radar and orientation systems would guide it to within 39 ft (12m) of the target. If a SAINT was launched from Cape Canaveral, it would be able to provide initial video of the target and data dumps to the NORAD station in Rhodesia. A full inspection of the target would take two hours, and be recorded, then sent to a ground station as soon as it came within the range of the station. It would then stay within 200 ft (60m) of the target for up to two days, taking pictures and measurements at different angles. After this it would be depleted of battery power and propellant.[3]
Several designs for the exact method of destroying the target were suggested. One of these was to have the satellite carry out a kamikaze attack on the target, while another was to coat it with black paint, blocking its ability to see or transmit, rendering it inoperable.[3] Yet another was for it to use a laser to disable reconnaissance or optical sensors of the target.[4] Another suggestion was for the satellite to carry a nuclear missile, of up to one megaton yield, and launch it at the satellite.[7] However, in July 1959, Joseph V. Charyk directed that all technical efforts were to be focused on developing the inspection function, rather than the kill function, effectively ending its role as a satellite interceptor, and shifting the project to the development of a satellite inspector.[8]
Cancellation
It was planned to launch four satellites in December 1962. However, before the launches could take place, then Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara cancelled the program, due to concerns that it would not be able to operate if a full-scale nuclear war broke out, and that only a small number of SAINTs could be launched at a time.[3] The project had also gone over budget, spending over 100 million dollars, which was several times the funding that had been publicly reported.[4] By the end of the 1960s, the concept of inspecting Soviet satellites was abandoned as the Soviets had begun installing destruction packages on their satellites, that would blow up both itself and the SAINT, by use of the APO-2 destruction system, which could either be set off by its operators in the USSR, or if it sensed that it was being scanned. The standard American military reconnaissance satellite was capable of scanning other satellites long range, along with ground-based detection of satellites.[3]
The project's only unique role, that of being able to destroy satellites, was then given to
References
- ^ "Designations Of U.S. Air Force Projects". www.designation-systems.net. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
- )
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "SAINT". www.astronautix.com. Archived from the original on August 20, 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
- ^ a b c "The history of US anti-satellite weapons" (PDF). Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
- ^ CIA (12 March 1957). Soviet Capabilities And Probable Programs In The Guided Missile Field (PDF). National Intelligence Estimate. Vol. 11-5-57. Langley: Central Intelligence Agency. p. 20. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 1, 2017.
A satellite vehicle possessing substantial reconnaissance capabilities of military value could probably be orbited in the period 1963–65.
- OCLC 56830561.
- ISBN 9780521119511.
- ^ Sambaluk, Nicholas Michael. "What's Heaven For?" (PDF). Kuscholarworks. p. 102. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
- ISBN 9789835201547.
- ^ "Johnston Island launch complexes and facilities". afspacemuseum.org. Retrieved 31 March 2017.