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Information about Kh 11

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A leaked KH-11 photo showing the Nikolaiev 444 shipyard in the Black Sea taken in 1984
The KH-11, also referenced by the codenames 1010[1], Crystal and Kennan[2], also commonly known as "Key Hole", was a type of reconnaissance satellite launched by the American National Reconnaissance Office between December 1976 and 1990 and used until present. 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.

The KH-11 replaced the KH-9 film return satellite, among others, the last of which was lost in a liftoff explosion in 1986. It is believed to resemble the Hubble Space Telescope in size and shape, as the satellites were shipped in similar containers. Using a powerful 2.3-meter mirror, the theoretical ground resolution with no atmospheric degradation and 50% MTF would be roughly 0.15 meter (6 inches). Operational resolution would be worse due to effects of the atmosphere. Different versions of the KH-11 vary in mass from 13,000 to 13,500 kilograms. Its length is believed to be 19.5 meters, and diameter is 3 meters or less. Data was transmitted through the United States military's Satellite Data System relay network.

The first KH-11 image was sent to the "Area 58" NRO facility at Fort Belvoir on January 20, 1977.

KH-11s generally operated for 2-3 years, although it is believed that at least one, KH-11/6, was operational for 11 years.[3] It is believed that the KH-11 began to be replaced by the KH-12 around 1990.

Many observers believe that the KH-12 is really just an incremental improvement over the KH-11, so some still call later satellites KH-11s. The "Improved Crystal" nickname that the KH-12 has also comes from the idea that it is just incrementally better. The main difference is that the KH-12 might include the ability for "live" viewing of imagery. An additional capability reportedly was developed under the code name of DRAGON and adds thermal imaging, probably in the 3 to 5 micrometre mid-wavelength infrared band, though perhaps at 10 micrometres.

Launch specifications

Source: Yenne[1]
  • Launch vehicle: Titan 3D/Agena
  • Total weight: 30,000 pounds (approx.)
  • Diameter: 6.6 feet (approx.)
  • Height: 64 feet (approx.)
  • Orbit: Elliptical, 185 miles (298 km) by 275 miles (443 km)
  • Sensor resolution: 10 feet (3 m), digital using CCD
  • Scanners: multispectral - visible and infrared
Name Launch date ID Alt. name Decay date
KH11-119 December 1976|1976-125AOPS-570528 January 1979
KH11-214 June 19781978-060AOPS451523 August 1981
KH11-37 February 19801980-010AOPS-258130 October 1982
KH11-43 September 19811981-085AOPS-398423 November 1984
KH11-517 November 19821982-111AOPS-962713 August 1985
KH11-64 December 19841984-122AUSA-6still in orbit as of March 2007
KH11-728 August 19851985-F02USAfailed to reach orbit
KH11-826 October 19871987-090AUSA-27still in orbit as of March 2007
KH11-96 November 19881988-099AUSA-33still in orbit as of March 2007
KH11-101 Mar 1990
(deployed from STS-36)		1990-019BUSA-53? (usually identified as MISTY)

References

1. ^ Yenne, Bill (1985). The Encyclopedia of US Spacecraft. Exeter Books (A Bison Book), New York. ISBN 0-671-07580-2. p.82 Key Hole
2. ^ John Pike. KH-11 Crystal/Kennan. Retrieved on 2007-07-27.
3. ^ Charles P. Vick (2007-04-24). KH-11 Kennan. globalsecurity.org. Retrieved on 2007-07-27.
  • Aviation Week, Oct. 25, 2005, p. 29

External links

  • Mark Wade (August 9, 2003). KH-11. Encyclopedia Astronautica. Accessed April 23, 2004.
  • John Pike (January 1, 1997). KH-11 product. Federation of American Scientists. Accessed April 24, 2004.
spy satellite (officially referred to as a reconnaissance satellite) is an Earth observation satellite or communications satellite deployed for military or intelligence applications. The first generation type (i.e.
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The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), located in Chantilly, Virginia, is one of the 16 intelligence agencies in the U.S. It designs, builds and operates the reconnaissance satellites of the United States government.
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Lockheed Corporation (originally Loughead Aircraft Manufacturing Company) was an American aerospace company originally founded in 1912 which merged with Martin Marietta in 1995 to form Lockheed Martin.
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Sunnyvale is the name of several places in the United States of America:
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Optoelectronics is the study and application of electronic devices that interact with light, and thus is 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.
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Digital imaging or digital image acquisition is the creation of digital images, typically from a physical object. The term is often assumed to imply or include the processing, compression, storage, printing, and display of such images.
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Film is a term that encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or special effects.
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Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a telescope in orbit around the Earth, named after astronomer Edwin Hubble. Its position outside the Earth's atmosphere provides significant advantages over ground-based telescopes — images are not blurred by the atmosphere, there is no
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satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavor. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon.
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1 metre =
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The metre or meter[1](symbol: m) is the fundamental unit of length in the International System of Units (SI).
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mirror is an object with a surface that has good specular reflection; that is, it is smooth enough to form an image. The most familiar type of mirror is the plane mirror, which has a flat surface.
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The Optical Transfer Function (OTF) describes the spatial (angular) variation as a function of spatial (angular) frequency. When the image is projected onto a flat plane, such as photographic film or a solid state detector, spatial frequency is the preferred domain, but when the
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The Satellite Data System (SDS) is a system of United States military communications satellites. At least two generations have been used: SDS-1 from July 1976 to November 1995, and SDS-2 from 1989 to the present.
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Fort Belvoir is a United States military installation and a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 7,176 at the 2000 census.
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January 20 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

In astrology, it is the cusp day between Capricorn and Aquarius.
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Also: 1977 (album) by Ash.

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The KH-12, commonly known as "Advanced Key Hole", also known by the codenames Ikon and Improved Crystal, is a successor to the KH-11 reconnaissance satellite and also used digital imaging.
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Infrared (IR) radiation is electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength longer than that of visible light, but shorter than that of radio waves. The name means "below red" (from the Latin infra, "below"), red being the color of visible light with the longest wavelength.
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image sensor is a device that converts a visual image to an electric signal. It is used chiefly in digital cameras and other imaging devices. It is usually an array of charge-coupled devices (CCD) or CMOS sensors such as active-pixel sensors.
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charge-coupled device (CCD) is an analog shift register, enabling analog signals (electric charges) to be transported through successive stages (capacitors) controlled by a clock signal.
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The International Designator (or NSSDC ID) is an international naming convention for satellites. It consists of the launch year, a 3-digit incrementing launch number of that year and up to a 3-letter code representing the sequential id of a piece in a launch.
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Orbital decay is the process of prolonged reduction in the height 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.
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STS-36
Mission insignia

Mission statistics
Mission name: STS-36
Shuttle: Atlantis
Launch pad: 39-A
Launch: February 28, 1990, 2:50:22 a.m. EST
Landing: March 4, 1990, 10:08:44 a.
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Misty is reportedly the name of a classified project by the United States National Reconnaissance Office to operate stealthy reconnaissance satellites. The satellites are conjectured to be photo reconnaissance satellites and the program has been the subject of atypically public
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