nickw%syma.sussex.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK (Nick Watkins) (09/24/89)
From: Nick Watkins <nickw%syma.sussex.ac.uk@NSFNET-RELAY.AC.UK> > [ ... Followups by mail, please, and I hope Mr. Watkins will send > a summary of responses to the group. --CDR] Here is the summary: > I am researching an article, provisionally for "New Scientist", on > military satellites and have a few queries about the DSP and > Rhyolite/Chalet series of spacecraft. From the work of Des Ball (the > books "Pine Gap" & "A Base for Debate"), plus recent issues of AW&ST > (i.e. all unclassified sources) I have the following list: > 1968-63a 6 Aug 1968 AAD Early Warning Test (Project 949) > 1969-36a 13 Apr 1969 AAD Early Warning Test > 1970-46a 19 Jun 1970 AAD Rhyolite SIGINT > 1970-69a 1 Sep 1970 AAD Early warning Test > 1) Which of 1970-46 or 1970-69 was more likely to be a Rhyolite? Ball is > certain that one was. > Although the former was often cited as having failed to go into GEO, the > reports at the time in AW&ST were contradictory and various sources list > a GEO not GTO. The launcher for both was occasionally described as an Atlas > Agena D plus a kick stage, anyone know anything about this? It seems that 70-46 has to be a Rhyolite, on account of the prevarication about its orbit. What 70-69 was is not really known, IMHO. Launcher was probably just an Atlas Agena D but Rhyolite would have had to carry its own apogee motor if the Agena did not circularise the GEO. > 1975-55a 18 Jun 1975 AAD Argus SIGINT This was corrected since its earlier posting to sci.space. I had thought it was a T3C launch, but apparently Patrick AFB, and General Dynamics (who make the Atlas), confirm this was an Atlas Agena D. > 1984-09a 31 Jan 1984 T34D DSP11 (failed?) > 1984-37a 15 Apr 1984 T34D DSP12 > 1984-129a 22 Dec 1984 T34D Chalet SIGINT > 1985-10b 24 Jan 1985 STS Magnum SIGINT > 2) Of the launches in 1984, did DSP11 fail to reach GEO as reported by > Ball, and are the identifications of it, DSP12 and the fourth Chalet > (1984-129) correct and in the right order? The order is more likely to be Chalet, DSP 11, DSP 12, Magnum. There is no real reason to believe that 1984-09a failed to reach GEO. The orbit filed with the UN is probably just a parking orbit. > AAD = Atlas Agena D > T3C = Titan 3C > T34D = Titan 34D > STS = Space Shuttle Many thanks to all those who took the trouble to reply. Followups by email or to sci.space. Nick Watkins, Space & Plasma Physics Group, School of Mathematical & Physical Sciences, Univ. of Sussex, Brighton, E.Sussex, BN1 9QH, ENGLAND JANET: nickw@syma.sussex.ac.uk BITNET: nickw%syma.sussex.ac.uk@uk.ac