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Article Number: 1900. Code Name: Hexagon. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Nation: USA. Agency: U.S. Air Force. Popularly known as 'Big Bird'. Titan 3C-class film-return reconnaisance satellite. Ground resolution 0.6 m. 2 x 1.52 m focal length camera; on 5 missions 1 x 0.30 m focal length mapping camera was carried. 4 capsules for return of film. Developed as backup to cancelled Manned Orbiting Lab. Mission life up to 275 days by end of program.
SpecificationTotal Length: 15.2 m. Maximum Diameter: 3.0 m. Total Mass: 11,400 kg.
KH-9 Chronology
15 June 1971
KH-9 no. 01 (Big Bird) Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3D. Mass: 13,300 kg. Perigee: 180 km. Apogee: 300 km. Inclination: 96.4 deg. KH-9 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).
20 January 1972
KH-9 no. 02 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3D. Mass: 13,300 kg. Perigee: 153 km. Apogee: 330 km. Inclination: 97.0 deg. KH-9 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).
07 July 1972
KH-9 no. 03 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3D. Mass: 13,300 kg. Perigee: 176 km. Apogee: 254 km. Inclination: 96.0 deg. KH-9 type satellite. Investigation of the upper atmosphere and outer space.
10 October 1972
KH-9 no. 04 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3D. Mass: 13,300 kg. Perigee: 160 km. Apogee: 281 km. Inclination: 96.5 deg. KH-9 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).
09 March 1973
KH-9 no. 05 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3D. Mass: 13,300 kg. Perigee: 150 km. Apogee: 262 km. Inclination: 95.7 deg. KH-9 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).
13 July 1973
KH-9 no. 06 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3D. Mass: 13,300 kg. Perigee: 143 km. Apogee: 291 km. Inclination: 96.2 deg. KH-9 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).
10 November 1973
KH-9 no. 07 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3D. Mass: 13,300 kg. Perigee: 158 km. Apogee: 275 km. Inclination: 96.9 deg. KH-9 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).
10 April 1974
KH-9 no. 08 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3D. Mass: 13,300 kg. Perigee: 153 km. Apogee: 285 km. Inclination: 94.5 deg. KH-9 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).
29 October 1974
KH-9 no. 09 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3D. Mass: 13,300 kg. Perigee: 115 km. Apogee: 272 km. Inclination: 96.7 deg. KH-9 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).
08 June 1975
KH-9 no. 10 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3D. Mass: 13,300 kg. Perigee: 157 km. Apogee: 272 km. Inclination: 96.3 deg. KH-9 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).
04 December 1975
KH-9 no. 11 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3D. Mass: 13,300 kg. Perigee: 157 km. Apogee: 234 km. Inclination: 96.3 deg. KH-9 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).
08 July 1976
KH-9 no. 12 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3D. Mass: 13,000 kg. Perigee: 159 km. Apogee: 242 km. Inclination: 97.0 deg. KH-9 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).
27 June 1977
KH-9 no. 13 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3D. Mass: 13,300 kg. Perigee: 155 km. Apogee: 239 km. Inclination: 97.0 deg. KH-9 type satellite. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C).
16 March 1978
KH-9 no. 14 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3D. Mass: 13,300 kg. Perigee: 160 km. Apogee: 240 km. Inclination: 96.4 deg. KH-9 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).
16 March 1979
KH-9 no. 15 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3D. Mass: 13,300 kg. Perigee: 170 km. Apogee: 258 km. Inclination: 96.4 deg. KH-9 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).
18 June 1980
KH-9 no. 16 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3D. Mass: 13,300 kg. Perigee: 164 km. Apogee: 262 km. Inclination: 96.4 deg. KH-9 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).
11 May 1982
KH-9 no. 17 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 3D. Mass: 13,300 kg. Perigee: 177 km. Apogee: 262 km. Inclination: 96.4 deg. KH-9 type satellite. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C).
20 June 1983
KH-9 no. 18 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 34D. Mass: 13,300 kg. Perigee: 159 km. Apogee: 259 km. Inclination: 96.5 deg. KH-9 type satellite. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C).
25 June 1984
USA 2 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 34D. Mass: 13,300 kg. Perigee: 170 km. Apogee: 230 km. Inclination: 96.5 deg. KH-9 type satellite. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C).
18 April 1986
SRV-3 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Titan 34D. FAILURE: Failure. Mass: 11,400 kg.
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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