Lampan 1 / Sampan 2 [NSA]
The Lampan Sampan satellites were part of a series of so called Program 11 or P-11 "Subsatellite Ferrets", low orbit ELINT/SIGINT satellites to pinpoint and characterize different Radar emitters in the Soviet Union and Warsaw pact states.
The Lampan Sampan SIGINT general search payloads. Sampan covered the 2.1 to 4.0 GHz frequency band. Lampan covered the 1.0 to 2.1 GHz frequency band. Lampan included an additional payload for communications intelligence (COMINT). It was designed to intercept and record signals in the 2100-4000 MHz band, and the add-on system was designed to intercept and record Communist Chinese RVG 902/3 signals in the 1200-1470 MHz band. The spacecraft was equipped with two conical spiral antennas to provide hemispherical coverage and a two-meter diameter parabolic antenna to provide directional coverage. The antennas fed both the Lampan and Sampan payloads.
The satellites were based on Lockheed's P-11 bus, which was designed to fit on the aft rack of the Agena-D upper stage. The bus contained each one or two focused payload black boxes and different antenna configurations according to payload, as well as deployable solar arrays. The satellite featured two solid rocket motors, which allowed them to rise and circularize their orbit after deployment from the host satellite. Both spin or gravity gradient stabilization was possible.
These subsatellites were deployed from the propulsion rack of the Agena-D stage of KH-4A Corona reconnaissance satellites. They used two solid-fuel kick-motors to maneuver themselves into their operational orbits after deployment.
Nation: | USA |
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Type / Application: | ELINT, SIGINT |
Operator: | US Air Force (USAF) |
Contractors: | Lockheed (bus); Applied Technology Industries (Lampan payloads); SEL (Sampan 2 payload); Applied Technology Industries (Sampan 3 payload) |
Equipment: | ? |
Configuration: | P-11 bus |
Propulsion: | Kick motor |
Power: | Solar cells, batteries |
Lifetime: | |
Mass: | |
Orbit: | 472 km × 520 km, 83.10° (#1/2); 408 km × 454 km, 65.71° (#2/3) |
Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
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Lampan 1 / Sampan 2 (P-11 4411, Mission 7322/7223, OPS 7076) | 1968-020B | 14.03.1968 | Va SLC-1E | Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D | with KH-4A 46 | |
Lampan 2 / Sampan 3 (P-11 4417, Mission 7328/7329, OPS 1721) | 1969-041B | 02.05.1969 | Va SLC-3W | Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D | with KH-4A 51 |