KH-11
Encyclopedia
The KH-11 KENNAN, renamed CRYSTAL in 1982 and also referenced by the codenames 1010, and "Key Hole", is a type of reconnaissance satellite launched by the American National Reconnaissance Office
since December 1976. Manufactured by Lockheed
in Sunnyvale, California
, the KH-11 was the first American spy satellite to utilize electro-optical
digital imaging
, and create a real-time optical observation capability.
Later KH-11 satellites have been referred to by outside observers as KH-11B or KH-12, and by the names "Advanced KENNAN", "Improved Crystal" and "Ikon". The Key Hole
series was officially discontinued in favour of a random numbering scheme after repeated public references to KH-8 Gambit, KH-9 Hexagon, and KH-11 satellites. KH-11 satellites are believed to have been the source of some imagery of the Soviet Union and China made public in 1997, as well as images of Sudan
and Afghanistan
made public in 1998 that were related to the response to the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings.
in size and shape, as the satellite
s were shipped in similar containers. Furthermore, a NASA history of the Hubble, in discussing the reasons for switching from a 3-meter main mirror to a 2.4-meter design, states: "In addition, changing to a 2.4-meter mirror would lessen fabrication costs by using manufacturing technologies developed for military spy satellites." A CIA history states that the primary mirror on the first KH-11s measured 2.34 meters, but sizes increased in later versions. NRO led the development of a computer controlled mirror polishing technique, which was subsequently also used for the polishing of the primary mirror of the Hubble Space Telescope.
Assuming a 2.4-meter mirror
, the theoretical ground resolution with no atmospheric degradation and 50% MTF would be roughly 15 cm (6 inches). Operational resolution would be worse due to effects of the atmosphere. Different versions of the KH-11 vary in mass, with earlier blocks ranging from 13,000 to 13,500 kilograms, whilst later blocks have a mass of around 19,600 kg. Its length is believed to be 19.5 meters, and diameter is 3 meters or less.
KH-11 was the first reconnaissance satellite equipped with Charge-coupled device
(CCD) array technology for imaging. Data is transmitted through a network of communications satellite
s; the Satellite Data System
. The initial ground station for the processing of the electro-optical imaging was a secret National Reconnaissance Office facility in Area 58, located in the continental United States.
Later block satellites may include signals intelligence capabilities and greater sensitivity in broader light spectrum
s (probably into infrared
), as well as an in-flight refueling capability for extended life span and maneuverability.
Later satellites had larger mirrors, with a diameter of around 2.9–3.1 m. Jane's Defence Weekly
indicates that the secondary mirror in the Cassegrain
reflecting telescope
system could be moved, allowing images to be taken from angles unusual for a satellite. Also, there are indications that the satellite can take images every five seconds.
After the failure of the Boeing
led Future Imagery Architecture
program in 2005, NRO ordered from Lockheed two additional legacy hardware KH-11s. USA-224
, the first of these two, was launched in early 2011 two years ahead of schedule, and US $ 2 billion under the initial budget estimate.
Four generations of U.S. electro-optical reconnaissance have been identified:
, and hard to detect visually. The first Misty satellite, USA-53, was released by the on mission STS-36
. The USA-144 satellite, launched on 22 May 1999 by a Titan IV
B from Vandenberg Air Force Base
may have been a second Misty satellite, or an Enhanced Imaging System spacecraft. The satellites are sometimes identified as KH-12s.
In 1978, a young CIA employee named William Kampiles
was accused of selling a KH-11 System Technical Manual describing design and operation to the Soviets. Kampiles was convicted of espionage and initially sentenced to 40 years in prison. Later, this term was reduced, and after serving 18 years, Kampiles was released in 1996.
In 1984 Samuel Loring Morison
, an intelligence analyst at the Naval Intelligence Support Center, forwarded three classified images taken by KH-11 to the publication Jane's Fighting Ships
. In 1985, Morison was convicted in Federal Court on two counts of espionage and two counts of theft of government property, and was sentenced to two years in prison. He was pardoned by President Clinton
in 2001.
-3D and −34D rockets, with one launch failure. For the following five satellite launches between 1992 and 2005, a Titan IV
launch vehicle was used. The most recent launch in 2011 was carried out by a Delta IV Heavy rocket. The KH-11 replaced the KH-9 film return satellite, among others, the last of which was lost in a liftoff explosion in 1986.
KH-11 satellites are in either of two standard planes in Sun-synchronous orbit
s. As shadows help to discern ground features, satellites in a standard plane east of a noon/midnight orbit observe the ground at local afternoon hours, while satellites in a western plane observe the ground at local morning hours. Historically launches have therefore been timed to occur either about two hours before or one hour after local noon (or midnight), respectively.
KH-11 satellites require periodic reboosts to counter atmospheric drag
, or to adjust their ground track to surveillance requirements. Based on data collected by amateur observers, the following orbital characteristics of OPS 5705 were calculated by amateur skywatcher Ted Molczan.
National Reconnaissance Office
The National Reconnaissance Office , located in Chantilly, Virginia, is one of the 16 U.S. intelligence agencies. It designs, builds, and operates the spy satellites of the United States government.-Mission:...
since December 1976. Manufactured by Lockheed
Lockheed Corporation
The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
in Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. It is one of the major cities that make up the Silicon Valley located in the San Francisco Bay Area...
, the KH-11 was the first American spy satellite to utilize electro-optical
Optoelectronics
Optoelectronics is the study and application of electronic devices that source, detect and control light, usually considered a sub-field of photonics. In this context, light often includes invisible forms of radiation such as gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet and infrared, in addition to visible light...
digital imaging
Digital imaging
Digital imaging or digital image acquisition is the creation of digital images, typically from a physical scene. The term is often assumed to imply or include the processing, compression, storage, printing, and display of such images...
, and create a real-time optical observation capability.
Later KH-11 satellites have been referred to by outside observers as KH-11B or KH-12, and by the names "Advanced KENNAN", "Improved Crystal" and "Ikon". The Key Hole
Key Hole
Key Hole is the designation for a series of American optical reconnaissance satellites:* KH-1 Corona* KH-2 Corona* KH-3 Corona* KH-4 Corona* KH-5 Argon* KH-6 Lanyard* KH-7 Gambit* KH-8 Gambit 3* KH-9 Hexagon/Big Bird...
series was officially discontinued in favour of a random numbering scheme after repeated public references to KH-8 Gambit, KH-9 Hexagon, and KH-11 satellites. KH-11 satellites are believed to have been the source of some imagery of the Soviet Union and China made public in 1997, as well as images of Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
made public in 1998 that were related to the response to the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings.
Design
It is believed to resemble the Hubble Space TelescopeHubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope is a space telescope that was carried into orbit by a Space Shuttle in 1990 and remains in operation. A 2.4 meter aperture telescope in low Earth orbit, Hubble's four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared...
in size and shape, as the satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
s were shipped in similar containers. Furthermore, a NASA history of the Hubble, in discussing the reasons for switching from a 3-meter main mirror to a 2.4-meter design, states: "In addition, changing to a 2.4-meter mirror would lessen fabrication costs by using manufacturing technologies developed for military spy satellites." A CIA history states that the primary mirror on the first KH-11s measured 2.34 meters, but sizes increased in later versions. NRO led the development of a computer controlled mirror polishing technique, which was subsequently also used for the polishing of the primary mirror of the Hubble Space Telescope.
Assuming a 2.4-meter mirror
Mirror
A mirror is an object that reflects light or sound in a way that preserves much of its original quality prior to its contact with the mirror. Some mirrors also filter out some wavelengths, while preserving other wavelengths in the reflection...
, the theoretical ground resolution with no atmospheric degradation and 50% MTF would be roughly 15 cm (6 inches). Operational resolution would be worse due to effects of the atmosphere. Different versions of the KH-11 vary in mass, with earlier blocks ranging from 13,000 to 13,500 kilograms, whilst later blocks have a mass of around 19,600 kg. Its length is believed to be 19.5 meters, and diameter is 3 meters or less.
KH-11 was the first reconnaissance satellite equipped with Charge-coupled device
Charge-coupled device
A charge-coupled device is a device for the movement of electrical charge, usually from within the device to an area where the charge can be manipulated, for example conversion into a digital value. This is achieved by "shifting" the signals between stages within the device one at a time...
(CCD) array technology for imaging. Data is transmitted through a network of communications satellite
Communications satellite
A communications satellite is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purpose of telecommunications...
s; the Satellite Data System
Satellite Data System
The Satellite Data System is a system of United States military communications satellites. At least three generations have been used: SDS-1 from 1976 to 1987; SDS-2 from 1989 to 1996; SDS-3 from 1998 to the present...
. The initial ground station for the processing of the electro-optical imaging was a secret National Reconnaissance Office facility in Area 58, located in the continental United States.
Later block satellites may include signals intelligence capabilities and greater sensitivity in broader light spectrum
Electromagnetic spectrum
The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of all possible frequencies of electromagnetic radiation. The "electromagnetic spectrum" of an object is the characteristic distribution of electromagnetic radiation emitted or absorbed by that particular object....
s (probably into infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
), as well as an in-flight refueling capability for extended life span and maneuverability.
Later satellites had larger mirrors, with a diameter of around 2.9–3.1 m. Jane's Defence Weekly
Jane's Defence Weekly
Jane's Defence Weekly is a weekly magazine reporting on military and corporate affairs, edited by Peter Felstead. It is one of a number of military-related publications named after John F. T. Jane, an Englishman who first published Jane's All the World's Fighting Ships in 1898...
indicates that the secondary mirror in the Cassegrain
Cassegrain reflector
The Cassegrain reflector is a combination of a primary concave mirror and a secondary convex mirror, often used in optical telescopes and radio antennas....
reflecting telescope
Reflecting telescope
A reflecting telescope is an optical telescope which uses a single or combination of curved mirrors that reflect light and form an image. The reflecting telescope was invented in the 17th century as an alternative to the refracting telescope which, at that time, was a design that suffered from...
system could be moved, allowing images to be taken from angles unusual for a satellite. Also, there are indications that the satellite can take images every five seconds.
After the failure of the Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
led Future Imagery Architecture
Future Imagery Architecture
Future Imagery Architecture was a program to design a new generation of optical and radar imaging US reconnaissance satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office . In 2005 NRO director Donald Kerr recommended the project's termination, and the optical component of the program was finally...
program in 2005, NRO ordered from Lockheed two additional legacy hardware KH-11s. USA-224
USA-224
USA-224, also known as NRO Launch 49 , is an American reconnaissance satellite which was launched in 2011. It is a KH-11 optical imaging satellite, the fifteenth such spacecraft to be launched, and intended as a replacement of the USA-161 satellite launched in 2001.After the failure of the Boeing...
, the first of these two, was launched in early 2011 two years ahead of schedule, and US $ 2 billion under the initial budget estimate.
Four generations of U.S. electro-optical reconnaissance have been identified:
Block I
Block I refers to the original KH-11 Kennan satellite, of which five were launched between 19 December 1976 and 17 November 1982.Block II
The three Block II satellites are in the open literature referred to as KH-11B, the alleged DRAGON codename , or Crystal, and are believed to be capable of taking infrared images in addition to optical observations. The first or second Block II satellite was lost in a launch failure.Block III
Four Block III satellites, commonly called KH-12 or Improved Crystal were launched between November 1992 and October 2001. The name "Improved Crystal" refers to the "Improved Metric CRYSTAL System" (IMCS), which adds reference markings for accurate mapping to images obtained by the satellite.Block IV
Two electro-optical satellites launched in October 2005 and January 2011 are attributed to Block IV.Derivatives
The Misty satellite is believed to have been derived from the KH-11, but modified to make it invisible to radarStealth technology
Stealth technology also termed LO technology is a sub-discipline of military tactics and passive electronic countermeasures, which cover a range of techniques used with personnel, aircraft, ships, submarines, and missiles, to make them less visible to radar, infrared, sonar and other detection...
, and hard to detect visually. The first Misty satellite, USA-53, was released by the on mission STS-36
STS-36
STS-36 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission, during which Space Shuttle Atlantis carried a classified payload for the U.S. Department of Defense into orbit. STS-36 was the 34th shuttle mission overall, the sixth flight for Atlantis, and the fourth night launch of the shuttle program...
. The USA-144 satellite, launched on 22 May 1999 by a Titan IV
Titan IV
The Titan IV family of space boosters were used by the U.S. Air Force. They were launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. At the time of its introduction, the Titan IV was the "largest unmanned space booster used by the Air Force."The...
B from Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northwest of Lompoc, California. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command ....
may have been a second Misty satellite, or an Enhanced Imaging System spacecraft. The satellites are sometimes identified as KH-12s.
Compromise
William Kampiles
William Peter Kampiles was a Central Intelligence Agency employee during the Cold War.-Biography:Bored with his low-ranking status as a CIA clerk, in 1977, he stole a top-secret KH-11 spy satellite manual. Afterwards, he resigned from his job, flew to Greece, and sold the manual to the Russian...
was accused of selling a KH-11 System Technical Manual describing design and operation to the Soviets. Kampiles was convicted of espionage and initially sentenced to 40 years in prison. Later, this term was reduced, and after serving 18 years, Kampiles was released in 1996.
In 1984 Samuel Loring Morison
Samuel Loring Morison
Samuel Loring Morison is a former American intelligence professional, who was convicted of espionage and theft of government property in 1985, and pardoned in 2001...
, an intelligence analyst at the Naval Intelligence Support Center, forwarded three classified images taken by KH-11 to the publication Jane's Fighting Ships
Jane's Fighting Ships
Jane's Fighting Ships is an annual reference book of information on all the world's warships arranged by nation, including information on ship's names, dimensions, armaments, silhouettes and photographs, etc...
. In 1985, Morison was convicted in Federal Court on two counts of espionage and two counts of theft of government property, and was sentenced to two years in prison. He was pardoned by President Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
in 2001.
KH-11 missions
Nine KH-11 satellites were launched between 1976 and 1990 aboard TitanTitan (rocket family)
Titan was a family of U.S. expendable rockets used between 1959 and 2005. A total of 368 rockets of this family were launched, including all the Project Gemini manned flights of the mid-1960s...
-3D and −34D rockets, with one launch failure. For the following five satellite launches between 1992 and 2005, a Titan IV
Titan IV
The Titan IV family of space boosters were used by the U.S. Air Force. They were launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. At the time of its introduction, the Titan IV was the "largest unmanned space booster used by the Air Force."The...
launch vehicle was used. The most recent launch in 2011 was carried out by a Delta IV Heavy rocket. The KH-11 replaced the KH-9 film return satellite, among others, the last of which was lost in a liftoff explosion in 1986.
KH-11 satellites are in either of two standard planes in Sun-synchronous orbit
Sun-synchronous orbit
A Sun-synchronous orbit is a geocentric orbit which combines altitude and inclination in such a way that an object on that orbit ascends or descends over any given point of the Earth's surface at the same local mean solar time. The surface illumination angle will be nearly the same every time...
s. As shadows help to discern ground features, satellites in a standard plane east of a noon/midnight orbit observe the ground at local afternoon hours, while satellites in a western plane observe the ground at local morning hours. Historically launches have therefore been timed to occur either about two hours before or one hour after local noon (or midnight), respectively.
| Name | KH-11 Block |
Launch date | ID International Designator The International Designator, also known as COSPAR designation, and in the United States as NSSDC ID, is an international naming convention for satellites... |
NROL number | Orbit | Plane | Orbital decay Orbital decay Orbital decay is the process of prolonged reduction in the altitude of a satellite's orbit.This can be due to drag produced by an atmosphere due to frequent collisions between the satellite and surrounding air molecules. The drag experienced by the object is larger in the case of increased solar... date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OPS 5705 | 1-1 | 19 December 1976 | 1976-125A | N/A | 247 km x 533 km, i=96.9° | West | 28 January 1979 |
| OPS 4515 | 1–2 | 14 June 1978 | 1978-060A | 276 km x 509 km, i=96.8° | West | 23 August 1981 | |
| OPS 2581 | 1–3 | 7 February 1980 | 1980-010A | 309 km x 501 km, i=97.1° | East | 30 October 1982 | |
| OPS 3984 | 1–4 | 3 September 1981 | 1981-085A | 244 km x 526 km, i=96.9° | West | 23 November 1984 | |
| OPS 9627 | 1–5 | 17 November 1982 | 1982-111A | 280 km x 522 km, i=96.9° | East | 13 August 1985 | |
| USA-6 | 2-1 | 4 December 1984 | 1984-122A | 335 km x 758 km, i=98° | West | 10 November 1994 | |
| Unknown | 2-2 | 28 August 1985 | N/A | Failed to orbit | East | N/A | |
| USA-27 | 2–3 | 26 October 1987 | 1987-090A | 300 km x 1000 km, i=98° | East | 11 June 1992 | |
| USA-33 | 2–4 | 6 November 1988 | 1988-099A | 300 km x 1000 km, i=98° | West | 12 May 1996 | |
| USA-86 | 3-1 | 28 November 1992 | 1992-083A | 408 km x 931 km, i=97.7° | East | 5 June 2000 | |
| USA-116 | 3-2 | 5 December 1995 | 1995-066A | 405 km x 834 km, i=97.7° | East | 19 November 2008 | |
| USA-129 | 3-3 | 20 December 1996 | 1996-072A | NROL-2 | 292 km x 894 km, i=97.7° | West | |
| USA-161 | 4-1 | 5 October 2001 | 2001-044A | NROL-14 | 309 km x 965 km, i=97.9° | East | |
| USA-186 | 3–4 | 19 October 2005 | 2005-042A | NROL-20 | 256 km x 1006 km, i=97.9° | West | |
| USA-224 USA-224 USA-224, also known as NRO Launch 49 , is an American reconnaissance satellite which was launched in 2011. It is a KH-11 optical imaging satellite, the fifteenth such spacecraft to be launched, and intended as a replacement of the USA-161 satellite launched in 2001.After the failure of the Boeing... |
4-2 | 20 January 2011 | 2011-002A | NROL-49 | 290 km x 985 km, i=97.9° | East | |
KH-11 satellites require periodic reboosts to counter atmospheric drag
Drag (physics)
In fluid dynamics, drag refers to forces which act on a solid object in the direction of the relative fluid flow velocity...
, or to adjust their ground track to surveillance requirements. Based on data collected by amateur observers, the following orbital characteristics of OPS 5705 were calculated by amateur skywatcher Ted Molczan.
| OPS 5705 Time period |
Periapsis (AMSL Above mean sea level The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach... ) |
Apoapsis (AMSL Above mean sea level The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach... ) |
Apogee at end of period(AMSL Above mean sea level The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach... ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 Dec 19 – 23 Dec | 253 km (157.2 mi) | 541 km (336.2 mi) | 541 km (336.2 mi) |
| 1976 Dec 23 – 1977 Mar 27 | 348 km (216.2 mi) | 541 km (336.2 mi) | 537 km (333.7 mi) |
| 1977 Mar 27 – 19 Aug | 270 km (167.8 mi) | 537 km (333.7 mi) | 476 km (295.8 mi) |
| 1977 Aug 19 – 1978 Jan | 270 km (167.8 mi) | 528 km (328.1 mi) | 454 km (282.1 mi) |
| 1978 Jan – 1979 Jan 28 | 263 km (163.4 mi) | 534 km (331.8 mi) | Deorbited |
Cost
Unit costs, including launch, in 1990 dollars are estimated to be in the range of US $ 1.25 to 1.75 billion (inflation adjusted US$ to billion in ).External links
- John Pike (2000-09-07). program. Federation of American Scientists. Accessed 2008-02-23.
- John Pike (1 January 1997). KH-11 product. Federation of American Scientists. Accessed 24 April 2004.
- John Pike (9 September 2000). KH-12 Improved Crystal. Federation of American ScientistsFederation of American ScientistsThe Federation of American Scientists is a nonpartisan, 501 organization intent on using science and scientific analysis to attempt make the world more secure. FAS was founded in 1945 by scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project to develop the first atomic bombs...
. Accessed 23 April 2004. - John Pike (22 August 1998). KH-12 product. Federation of American ScientistsFederation of American ScientistsThe Federation of American Scientists is a nonpartisan, 501 organization intent on using science and scientific analysis to attempt make the world more secure. FAS was founded in 1945 by scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project to develop the first atomic bombs...
. Accessed 23 April 2004. - Mark Wade (9 August 2003). KH-11. Encyclopedia Astronautica. Accessed 23 April 2004.