Poppy (satellite)
Encyclopedia
POPPY is the code name given to a series of U.S. intelligence satellites operated by the National Reconnaissance Office
. The POPPY satellites recorded ELINT data, targeting radar installations in the Soviet Union
and Soviet naval ships at sea.
The POPPY program was a continuation within NRO's Program C of the Naval Research Laboratory's Galactic Radiation and Background
(GRAB) ELINT program, also known as Tattletale. The National Security Agency
was given the responsibility of collecting, interpreting, and reporting the signals intercepted.
The existence of the POPPY program was declassified by the NRO
in September 2005, although most of the details about its capabilities and operation are still classified. The NRO revealed, though, that the POPPY satellites, like other US SIGINT
systems, used the principle of signals time difference of arrival
, which enables precise locating of an object. The full configuration thus employed four vehicles in low Earth orbit.
There were seven launches of POPPY satellites from Vandenberg Air Force Base
from 1962 until 1971, all of which were successful. The program continued until August 1977.
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:...
. The POPPY satellites recorded ELINT data, targeting radar installations in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and Soviet naval ships at sea.
The POPPY program was a continuation within NRO's Program C of the Naval Research Laboratory's Galactic Radiation and Background
Galactic Radiation and Background
Galactic Radiation and Background was the covername for Project Dyno ELINT intelligence satellites operated by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory shortly after the Cold War U-2 incident of 1960...
(GRAB) ELINT program, also known as Tattletale. The National Security Agency
National Security Agency
The National Security Agency/Central Security Service is a cryptologic intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications and foreign signals intelligence, as well as protecting U.S...
was given the responsibility of collecting, interpreting, and reporting the signals intercepted.
The existence of the POPPY program was declassified by the NRO
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:...
in September 2005, although most of the details about its capabilities and operation are still classified. The NRO revealed, though, that the POPPY satellites, like other US SIGINT
SIGINT
Signals intelligence is intelligence-gathering by interception of signals, whether between people , whether involving electronic signals not directly used in communication , or combinations of the two...
systems, used the principle of signals time difference of arrival
Multilateration
Multilateration is a navigation technique based on the measurement of the difference in distance to two or more stations at known locations that broadcast signals at known times. Unlike measurements of absolute distance or angle, measuring the difference in distance results in an infinite number of...
, which enables precise locating of an object. The full configuration thus employed four vehicles in low Earth orbit.
There were seven launches of POPPY satellites 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 ....
from 1962 until 1971, all of which were successful. The program continued until August 1977.
Launches
| Name | Launch date | International Designator 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... s |
Other names | Launch vehicle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poppy 1 | 13 December 1962 | 1962-067A or 1962-BETA-TAU-1, 1962-067C or 1962-BETA-TAU-3 | NRL-PL 120, NRL PL 121 | Thor-Agena-D Thor-Agena Thor-Agena was a series of orbital launch vehicles. The rockets used Thor first stages and Agena second stages. They are thus cousins of the more famous Thor-Deltas, which founded the Delta rocket family. The first attempted launch of a Thor-Agena was in January 1959... |
| Poppy 2 | 15 June 1963 | 1963-021E | NRL PL 112 | Thor-Agena-D |
| Poppy 3 | 11 January 1964 | 1964-001E | NRL PL 135 | TAT-Agena-D |
| Poppy 4 | 9 March 1965 | 1965-016A | NRL PL 142 | Thor-Agena-D |
| Poppy 5 | 31 May 1967 | 1967-053G, 1967-053H | NRL PL 151, NRL PL 153 | Thor-Agena-D |
| Poppy 6 | 30 September 1969 | 1969-082D, 1969-082E, 1969-082F, 1969-082G (OPS 7613) | NRL PL 162, 163, 161, 164 | Thorad-Agena Thorad-Agena The Thorad-Agena was an American expendable launch system, derived from the Thor and Delta rockets. The first stage of the rocket was the stretched variant of the Thor which had been developed for the Delta programme. The second stage was the Agena-D, which had already been used in conjunction with... -D |
| Poppy 7 | 14 December 1971 | 1971-110A, 1971-110C, 1971-110D, 1979-110E (OPS 7898) | NRL PL 171, 172, 173, 174 | Thorad-Agena-D |
External links
- Poppy program press release
- Poppy program Fact sheet
- Gunter's Space Page - information on Poppy
- Space.com news article