From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

KH-4B Corona satellite

U.S. Lacrosse radar spy satellite under construction

A model of a German SAR-Lupe reconnaissance satellite inside a Cosmos-3M rocket.

A spy satellite (officially referred to as a reconnaissance satellite) is an Earth observation satellite or communications satellite deployed for military or intelligence applications.

These are essentially space telescopes that are pointed toward the Earth instead of toward the stars. The first generation type (i.e. Corona ^{[1] [2]} and Zenit) took photographs, then ejected canisters of photographic film, which would descend to earth.

Corona capsules were retrieved in mid-air as they floated down on parachutes. Later spacecraft had digital imaging systems and downloaded the images via encrypted radio links.

In the United States, most information available is on programs that existed up to 1972. Some information about programs prior to that time are still classified, and a small trickle of information is available on subsequent missions.

A few up-to-date reconnaissance satellite images have been declassified on occasion, or leaked, as in the case of KH-11 photographs which were sent to Jane's Defence Weekly in 1985.

Origins

On March 16, 1955, the United States Air Force officially ordered the development of an advanced reconnaissance satellite to provide continuous surveillance of 'preselected areas of the earth' in order 'to determine the status of a potential enemy’s war-making capability'.^[3] In October 1957, the Russians launched Sputnik. It was the first man made object to be put into Earth orbit.

Missions

Examples of reconnaissance satellite missions:

• High resolution photography (IMINT)
• Measurement and Signature Intelligence (MASINT)
• Communications eavesdropping (SIGINT)
• Covert communications
• Monitoring of nuclear test ban compliance (see National Technical Means)
• Detection of missile launches

In fiction

Spy satellites are commonly seen in spy fiction and military fiction. Some works of fiction that focus specifically on spy satellites include:

• The OMAC Project
• Enemy of the State (film)
• Body of Lies (film)
• Ice Station Zebra

See also

• National Reconnaissance Office
• Defense Support Program
• European Union Satellite Centre
• Atmospheric reentry
• List of intelligence gathering disciplines
• Erhard Kietz video signals in the Cold War and Cuban Missile Crisis

References

External links

• http://www.fas.org/irp/imint/
• Java 3D satellite tracker
• GlobalSecurity.org: Imagery Intelligence
• Iran to Launch first spy satellite
• http://www.skyrocket.de/space/doc_sdat/egyptsat-1.htm
• http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Iraq.html
• Military Intelligence Satellites (NASA, remote sensing tutorial)

World Reconnaissance Satellites, excluding Russia and the United States Commercial Electro-optical Quickbird · WorldView-1 · WorldView-2 · Ikonos · GeoEye-1 · SPOT · EO1-ALI · ASTER · LANDSAT Synthetic Aperture Radar RADARSAT-1 · RADARSAT-2 International Electro-Optical Disaster Monitoring Constellation  Brazil IMINT SCD-1 · SCD-2 · CBERS-1 · CBERS-2 · SSR  China IMINT JSSW · FSW-0 · FSW-1 · FSW-2 · FSW-3 · JianBing · CBERS-2 (joint Brazil) · Yaogan SIGINT JSSW-3  · SJ-2 · DQ-1 COMM Feng Huo-1 · ShenTong-1  France IMINT Hélios 1B · Helios 2A SIGINT Cerise · Clementine  Germany IMINT SAR-Lupe  India IMINT Cartosat-1  · Cartosat-2  · Cartosat-2A Other RISAT-2  Israel IMINT Ofeq -> Ofeq 7 COMM AMOS 1 · AMOS 2 · AMOS 3 · AMOS 4 Other Eros · TecSAR  Italy IMINT COSMO-SkyMed  Japan IMINT IGS 1A/B · IGS 2A/B · IGS 3A · IGS 4A/B · IGS 5A  South Korea IMINT Arirang-1 · Arirang-2 · Arirang-3 · Arirang-4 · Arirang-5 · Arirang-6 · Arirang-7

US reconnaissance satellites IMINT Photographic KH-1 CORONA · KH-2 CORONA · KH-3 CORONA · KH-4A CORONA · KH-4B CORONA · KH-5 ARGON · KH-6 LANYARD · KH-7 GAMBIT · KH-8 GAMBIT · KH-9 HEXAGON · KH-10 DORIAN Electro-optical SAMOS · KH-11 KENNAN · KH-12 · KH-13 · FIA Synthetic aperture radar LACROSSE · Infrared  · SIGINT Low Earth orbit GRAB · Poppy · White Cloud · SAMOS F Highly elliptical orbit Jumpseat · Trumpet Geosynchronous Earth orbit Canyon · Magnum · Mentor · Mercury · Rhyolite/Aquacade · Vortex MASINT Primary mission FORTE · GPS · DMSP · Vela Secondary mission MIDAS · DSP · SBIRS Research and development Primary mission MiTEx · Secondary mission  · Unknown USA number USA-193 · USA-202