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Other Designations: Kennan. Article Number: 5500. Code Name: Crystal. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Nation: USA. Agency: U.S. Air Force. Also known as Kennan, Program 1010. Used systems developed for KH-10 Manned Orbiting Laboratory. First electro-optical digital transmission imaging reconnaisance satellite. Ground resolution 0.15 m with a 2.3 m diameter mirror. Believed to be similar to Hubble Space Telescope (they used same shipping container and specially-modified aircraft). Data transmitted via SDS military relay satellites.
SpecificationTotal Length: 19.5 m. Maximum Diameter: 3.0 m. Total Mass: 13,500 kg.
KH-11 Chronology
19 December 1976
KH-11 no. 1 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3D. Mass: 13,300 kg. Perigee: 246 km. Apogee: 531 km. Inclination: 96.9 deg. KH-11 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).
14 June 1978
KH-11 no. 2 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3D. Mass: 13,000 kg. Perigee: 223 km. Apogee: 509 km. Inclination: 97.0 deg. KH-11 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).
07 February 1980
KH-11 no. 3 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3D. Mass: 13,300 kg. Perigee: 220 km. Apogee: 498 km. Inclination: 97.0 deg. KH-11 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).
03 September 1981
KH-11 no. 4 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3D. Mass: 13,300 kg. Perigee: 244 km. Apogee: 526 km. Inclination: 97.0 deg. KH-11 type satellite. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C).
17 November 1982
KH-11 no. 5 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3D. Mass: 13,300 kg. Perigee: 280 km. Apogee: 520 km. Inclination: 97.0 deg. KH-11 type satellite. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C).
04 December 1984
USA 6 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 34D. Mass: 13,000 kg. Perigee: 300 km. Apogee: 650 km. Inclination: 97.1 deg. KH-11 type satellite. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C).
28 August 1985
KH-11 no. 7 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 34D. FAILURE: Stage 1 propellant feed system failure forced premature engine shutdown. Mass: 13,300 kg. KH-11 type satellite.
26 October 1987
USA 27 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 34D. Mass: 13,300 kg. Perigee: 153 km. Apogee: 1,029 km. Inclination: 97.8 deg. KH-11 type satellite. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C).
06 November 1988
USA 33 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 34D. Mass: 13,500 kg. Perigee: 156 km. Apogee: 1,012 km. Inclination: 97.9 deg. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C).
Bibliography:- 5 - Krebs, Gunter, Gunter's Space Page, University of Frankfurt, 1996. HTML when accessed: http://www.skyrocket.de/space
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Last update 12 March 2001.
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© Mark Wade, 2001 .