Remote Sensing Systems Thaddeus Lowe’s BalloonThaddeus Lowe’s Balloon Corona SystemCorona System Electro-optical systems (Landsat, Terra,Electro-optical systems (Landsat, Terra, AVHRR, SeaWiFS, GOES, VCL, etc.) Balloon, telescope, telegraphBalloon, telescope, telegraph Space craft, camera, film dropSpace craft, camera, film drop Space craft, scanner or push broom instrument, digital transmissionSpace craft, scanner or push broom instrument, digital transmission Platform, sensing device, data transmission

U-2 Spy Plane Flew at 70,000’ over USSR air defenses

U-2 Spy Plane Mr. Powers shot down over USSR in 1960 Mr. Gary Powers, after release from Lubianka

CIA’s Corona Program CIA’s Corona Program >100 missions Followed after U-2s… Platform: Spacecraft Sensor: Camera Data System: Film Drop Started: August 1960 Coverage: 7.6 Bil mi 2 Spatial Resolution: early 13 m, later 2 m Spectral Resolution: visible and visible-near infrared (both film) Radiometric Resolution: equivalent 2 4 to 2 6 (4 to 6 bits)

CIA’s Corona Program reentry with air capture

CIA’s Corona Program

CIA’s Corona Program Washington Monument 1967

CIA’s Corona Program Lop Nor - Chinese A-bomb test site 1964

1968 USA Corona Coverage

Corona Single Mission Coverage Emphasis on Communist Block day missions Mecca

Declassified Corona Images Film strips ordered from USGS Digitized Analyzed in Adobe PS “Full” Resolution (10-20 m) Film strip

1960 Corona Staffing for Analyses

Gen. Osmond Ritland & film pod Rocket motors to prevent pod burn up on reentry Later replaced with pressure gas jets

Dolon Airbase; Corona 8/20/1966 FH-4A Mission 1036

Dolon Airbase; Corona 8/20/19066 full-resolution ~5m panchromatic

Corona Looks at Kremlin 1965

Corona Looks at Kremlin in 1960 Red Square Lenin’s tomb Line to view stiff Kremlin wall Gum Dept. Store

Corona views the Pentagon 1962

N-1 Lunar Rocket Launch Complex Baykonur, Kazakistan 1969 Twin launch towers Kerosene & oxygen fuel tanks Support structures

N-1 Lunar Rocket Launch Complex Baykonur, Kazakistan 1969 Twin launch complexes

N-1 Lunar Rocket Launch Complex Baykonur, Kazakistan 1970 Rocket on launch pad Launch tower Support structures

N-1 Lunar Rocket Launch Complex Baykonur, Kazakistan 1970 Massive Explosion As before

N-1 Lunar Rocket Launch Complex Before 1969 explosion After 1969 explosion

Corona over New London 1967

Corona over New London 1967 Full Resolution

Books about Corona Program

Corona spies on the Romans Circa 100 A.D. Syria

Corona camera operation Corona Film Strip

Corona camera operation Corona Film Strip

Corona Program De-orbiting

Corona Parachute Deployment

Corona Recovery Process

Corona Recovery Aircraft

Corona Reentry Pod Acquistion

Corona Recovery Deployment

Corona Reentry Overview

Corona’s First Mission August 1960 ~13 m spatial resolution

Corona Specifications ? Agena 3rd stage: 60” diameter 4 to 20 ‘ long Dry Weight: 800 to 1120 pounds Orbit: Sun synchronous, 500 km

“Hot Spot” Intelligence 1967 Arab-Israeli War 10 m spatial resolution