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KH-4A Corona

KH-4A 4 [USAF]

The KH-4A (Keyhole-4A) was fifth version in the Corona-program to build an optical reconnaissance satellite.

KH-4A carried two J-1 panoramic cameras, with a focal length of 61 cm, and a ground resolution of 2.7 m.

KH-4A also carried a 4 cm index camera, with a focal length of 38 mm, a ground resolution of 162 m, and frame coverage of 308 km × 308 km.

Secondary Payloads

Some satellites carried secondary payloads mounted on the satellite:

  • KH-4A 2 carried the Discoverer Research Package (Research Module) payload
  • KH-4A 3 carried the Long John 3 (Aftrack 38/Mission 7222) ELINT payload
  • KH-4A 4 carried the LPARL Aurora 1964 (ORBIS 1) payload
  • KH-4A 5 carried the IPEX (Research Module) payload
  • KH-4A 11 carried the Bit 7051? (Bit 1) ELINT payload
  • KH-4A 13 carried the Bit 7052 (Bit 2) ELINT payload
  • KH-4A 14 carried the Bit 7053 (Bit 3) ELINT payload and the ORBIS payload
  • KH-4A 15 carried the Bit 7054? (Bit 4) ELINT payload
  • KH-4A 16 carried the Bit 7055? (Bit 5) ELINT payload
  • KH-4A 17 carried the Bit 7056? (Bit 6) ELINT payload and the RM-104 payload
  • KH-4A 18 carried the Bit 7057? (Bit 7) ELINT payload
  • KH-4A 19 carried the Bit 7058? (Bit 8) ELINT payload
  • KH-4A 21 carried the Bit 7059? (Bit 9) ELINT payload
  • KH-4A 26 carried the LPARL Aurora 1965 (Research Module) payload and the Square Twenty (Aftrack 41/Mission 7225) COMINT payload featuring a 2 m parabolic antenna and a 2 m long curved rectangular fan beam antenna
  • KH-4A 43 carried the STP S67-3 (Module 283) payload, consisting of the RM-12, RM-15 and SXS instruments. The RM radiometers had been flown before on the unsuccessful MRPV (Corona 99) satellite.

When the launch vehicle switched to the more powerful Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D, many missions carried small "Subsatellite Ferret" or other small satellites into orbit.

Nation: USA
Type / Application: Reconnaissance, photo (film return type)
Operator: CIA
Contractors: Lockheed
Equipment: J-1 camera, index camera
Configuration: Agena-D, 2 SRVs
Propulsion: Bell 8096, 2 Star-12 retro motors
Power: Batteries
Lifetime:
Mass: ~2000 kg (incl. Agena stage)
Orbit:
Satellite COSPAR Date LS Launch Vehicle Remarks
KH-4A 1 (Corona 69, Mission 1001, OPS 1419) 1963-034A 25.08.1963 Va 75-3-4 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 2 (Corona 71, Mission 1002, OPS 1353) 1963-037A 23.09.1963 Va 75-1-2 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 3 (Corona 76, Mission 1004, Long John 3, OPS 3444) 1964-008A 15.02.1964 Va 75-3-4 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 4 (Corona 77, Mission 1003, OPS 3467) 1964-F04 24.03.1964 Va PALC-1-1 F Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 5 (Corona 78, Mission 1005, OPS 2921) 1964-022A 27.04.1964 Va 75-3-4 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 6 (Corona 79, Mission 1006, OPS 3483) 1964-027A 04.06.1964 Va PALC-1-1 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 7 (Corona 81, Mission 1007, OPS 3754) 1964-032A 19.06.1964 Va 75-1-1 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 8 (Corona 82, Mission 1008, OPS 3491) 1964-037A 10.07.1964 Va PALC-1-1 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 9 (Corona 83, Mission 1009, OPS 3042) 1964-043A 05.08.1964 Va 75-3-4 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 10 (Corona 85, Mission 1010, OPS 3497) 1964-056A 14.09.1964 Va PALC-1-1 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 11 (Corona 86, Mission 1011, Bit 1, OPS 3333) 1964-061A 05.10.1964 Va 75-3-4 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 12 (Corona 87, Mission 1012, OPS 3559) 1964-067A 17.10.1964 Va PALC-1-1 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 13 (Corona 88, Mission 1013, Bit 2, OPS 5434) 1964-071A 02.11.1964 Va 75-3-4 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 14 (Corona 89, Mission 1014, Bit 3, OPS 3360) 1964-075A 18.11.1964 Va 75-1-1 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 15 (Corona 90, Mission 1015, Bit 4, OPS 3358) 1964-085A 19.12.1964 Va 75-3-4 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 16 (Corona 91, Mission 1016, Bit 5, OPS 3928) 1965-002A 15.01.1965 Va 75-3-5 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 17 (Corona 92, Mission 1017, Bit 6, OPS 4782) 1965-013A 25.02.1965 Va PALC-1-1 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 18 (Corona 93, Mission 1018, Bit 7, OPS 4803) 1965-026A 25.03.1965 Va 75-3-4 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 19 (Corona 94, Mission 1019, Bit 8, OPS 5023) 1965-033A 29.04.1965 Va PALC-1-1 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 20 (Corona 95, Mission 1021, OPS 8431) 1965-037A 18.05.1965 Va 75-3-4 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 21 (Corona 96, Mission 1020, Bit 9, OPS 8425) 1965-045A 09.06.1965 Va 75-3-5 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 22 (Corona 97, Mission 1022, OPS 5543) 1965-057A 19.07.1965 Va PALC-1-1 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 23 (Corona 98, Mission 1023, OPS 7208) 1965-067A 17.08.1965 Va PALC-1-1 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 24 (Corona 100, Mission 1024, OPS 7221) 1965-074A 22.09.1965 Va PALC-1-1 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 25 (Corona 101, Mission 1025, OPS 5325) 1965-079A 05.10.1965 Va 75-3-5 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 26 (Corona 102, Mission 1026, Square Twenty, OPS 2155) 1965-086A 28.10.1965 Va PALC-1-1 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 27 (Corona 103, Mission 1027, OPS 7249) 1965-102A 09.12.1965 Va 75-3-5 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 28 (Corona 104, Mission 1028, OPS 4639) 1965-110A 24.12.1965 Va 75-3-4 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 29 (Corona 105, Mission 1029, OPS 7291) 1966-007A 02.02.1966 Va PALC-1-1 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 30 (Corona 106, Mission 1030, OPS 3488) 1966-018A 09.03.1966 Va 75-3-4 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 31 (Corona 107, Mission 1031, OPS 1612) 1966-029A 07.04.1966 Va PALC-1-1 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 32 (Corona 108, Mission 1032, OPS 1508) 1966-F05 03.05.1966 Va 75-3-5 F Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 33 (Corona 109, Mission 1033, OPS 1778) 1966-042A 24.05.1966 Va PALC-1-1 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 34 (Corona 110, Mission 1034, OPS 1599) 1966-055A 21.06.1966 Va 75-3-5 Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 35 (Corona 111, Mission 1036, OPS 1545) 1966-072A 09.08.1966 Va SLC-1W Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D
KH-4A 36 (Corona 112, Mission 1035, OPS 1703) 1966-085A 20.09.1966 Va SLC-3W Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 37 (Corona 113, Mission 1037, OPS 1866) 1966-102A 08.11.1966 Va SLC-1W Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D
KH-4A 38 (Corona 114, Mission 1038, OPS 1664) 1967-002A 14.01.1967 Va SLC-2W Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 39 (Corona 115, Mission 1039, OPS 4750) 1967-015A 22.02.1967 Va SLC-2W Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 40 (Corona 116, Mission 1040, OPS 4779) 1967-029A 30.03.1967 Va SLC-2W Thor-SLV2A Agena-D
KH-4A 41 (Corona 117, Mission 1041, OPS 4696) 1967-043A 09.05.1967 Va SLC-1E t Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D with Fanion 3/Slewto
KH-4A 42 (Corona 118, Mission 1042, OPS 3559) 1967-062A 16.06.1967 Va SLC-1W Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D with Savant 1
KH-4A 43 (Corona 119, Mission 1043, OPS 4827) 1967-076A 07.08.1967 Va SLC-1E Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D
KH-4A 44 (Corona 121, Mission 1044, OPS 0562) 1967-109A 02.11.1967 Va SLC-1E Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D with Facade
KH-4A 45 (Corona 123, Mission 1045, OPS 2243) 1968-008A 24.01.1968 Va SLC-1E Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D with Tivoli 1
KH-4A 46 (Corona 124, Mission 1046, OPS 4849) 1968-020A 14.03.1968 Va SLC-1E Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D with Lampan 1/Sampan 2
KH-4A 47 (Corona 126, Mission 1047, OPS 5343) 1968-052A 20.06.1968 Va SLC-1E Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D with Tripos 3/Sousea 2
KH-4A 48 (Corona 128, Mission 1048, OPS 0165) 1968-078A 18.09.1968 Va SLC-1E Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D with Vampan 1
KH-4A 49 (Corona 130, Mission 1049, OPS 4740) 1968-112A 12.12.1968 Va SLC-3W Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D with P-801 1
KH-4A 50 (Corona 132, Mission 1050, OPS 3722) 1969-026A 19.03.1969 Va SLC-3W Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D with Tivoli 2
KH-4A 51 (Corona 133, Mission 1051, OPS 1101) 1969-041A 02.05.1969 Va SLC-3W Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D with Lampan 2/Sampan 3
KH-4A 52 (Corona 135, Mission 1052, OPS 3531) 1969-079A 22.09.1969 Va SLC-3W Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D with Savant 2

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