The high secret URSALA, RAQUEL, and FARRAH satellites from the Nineteen Seventies to the twenty first century

 

Twenty HEXAGON satellites have been launched from California between 1971 and 1986, with one failure. HEXAGON was a giant photo-reconnaissance satellite tv for pc, however typically carried Program 989 subsatellites that have been deployed in orbit. (credit score: Peter Hunter)

by Dwayne A. Day
Monday, March 10, 2025

In 1963, the Air Force launched the primary “hitchhiker” off the facet of a bigger satellite tv for pc. This started a secretive program that lasted greater than 40 years underneath a wide range of names and designations. The satellites, concerning the measurement of a big suitcase, have been festooned with antennas and spun quickly as they orbited the Earth, sweeping their antennas over the bottom and gathering radar and different alerts, so-called digital intelligence, or ELINT. They often recorded the alerts for later transmission to the bottom, however sometimes straight re-transmitted them to a floor station.

Satellites with names like URSALA, RAQUEL, FARRAH, GLORIA, and CARRIE have solely just lately been declassified, with vital details about them launched solely previously two months, together with the disclosure of beforehand secret house shuttle payloads.

For the primary decade, the assorted satellites underneath this program chased no matter new ELINT targets appeared and have been of curiosity to the intelligence neighborhood. The satellites have been designed to be cheap and easy sufficient to be developed in a 12 months or much less in response to new threats. Their payloads have been typically bespoke designs, constructed solely a couple of times earlier than they have been changed by one thing else.

But by the Nineteen Seventies, the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), which managed this system, started to standardize the satellites and provides them an operational mission supporting army forces across the global community. Satellites with names like URSALA, RAQUEL, FARRAH, GLORIA, and CARRIE have solely just lately been declassified, with vital details about them launched solely previously two months, together with the disclosure of beforehand secret house shuttle payloads. These satellites represented a profound change within the assortment of intelligence knowledge from orbit, a change from serving comparatively unique “nationwide” management to supporting tactical forces of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. They introduced the wizard battle of space-based digital intelligence to the warfighter.

During the Nineteen Seventies and Nineteen Eighties, subsatellites have been deployed off the perimeters of huge HEXAGON photo-reconnaissance satellites. (credit score: NRO)

Program 989 and Mission 7300

The first of the small satellites have been colloquially known as “hitchhikers,” however Lockheed Missiles and Space Company, which constructed them, referred to them as Program 11, or P-11 satellites, and this designation appears to have been utilized by officers all through the Sixties and Nineteen Seventies as generic shorthand for the small satellites, even after they had official program designations and particular names. In 1965/66, the P-11 program was redesignated P-770B, then Program 989.[1] However, as fewer particular person satellites have been procured over time, it seems from accessible documentation that officers typically referred to the person satellites somewhat than this system they have been a part of. The Program 989 satellites continued flying even after a bigger collection of alerts intelligence (SIGINT) satellites often known as Program 770 ended with the final launch in 1972.[2]

By the Nineteen Seventies, the intelligence neighborhood started utilizing the TALENT-KEYHOLE designation “Mission 7300” to consult with the gathering of radar alerts and their geolocation knowledge by these low Earth orbit satellites. Mission 7100 referred to the ocean surveillance mission carried out by the PARCAE satellites. Mission 7200 referred to payloads hosted on different satellites, such because the AFTRACK digital intelligence methods carried on many CORONA satellites within the Sixties.[3] By the Nineteen Eighties there was rising dialogue throughout the intelligence neighborhood of merging each Missions 7100 and 7300 by growing new satellites incorporating each of their capabilities.

During the Sixties, the satellites typically lasted only some months in orbit. Their lifetimes have been typically restricted by their low orbits. Satellites with giant antennas, corresponding to giant low-frequency spiral antennas or giant flex-rib dish antennas, have been dragged down by the skinny ambiance at their altitudes. It was typical for satellites to final one to 4 years earlier than they burned up within the ambiance, though MABELI was nonetheless working when it burned up after seven years and TOP HAT II was nonetheless functioning when it burned up at six years.[4] The Secretary of the Air Force Special Projects workplace, positioned in Los Angeles, was the NRO’s West Coast group liable for managing Mission 7300, amongst different tasks. Usually solely known as SAFSP and largely manned by Air Force officers, SAFSP sought to extend the lifetimes and capabilities of the satellites in order that fewer have been required to carry out the missions. Improved electronics made this potential.[5]

Throughout the Sixties the satellites had names like PUNDIT, SAVANT, SOUSEA, and SAMPAN that have been obscure references to folks working within the intelligence area, or typically even inside jokes or puns. The program managers (all males) have been informed that they wanted to keep away from potential hints concerning the satellites’ missions, and they also determined to call them after film actresses.[6]

Because the P-11s have been carried into orbit alongside different, greater, photo-reconnaissance satellites, the satellites have been inevitably compromises. They have been restricted in measurement, mass, energy, functionality, and value. Nevertheless, they have been designed to pack as a lot functionality right into a small measurement as potential. They have been notable for sporting a number of dishes round their periphery, most of which have been spring-loaded to deploy utilizing centrifugal pressure.

Radars produce mainbeams and weaker sidelobes. The Program 989 satellites often had the flexibility to detect each, and in some circumstances they may decide fine-grain knowledge concerning the alerts, enabling the event of jamming and spoofing capabilities. (credit score: NRO)

Radars produce predominant beams that radiate ahead of the emitter, and facet lobes that unfold out to the emitter’s sides. The predominant beam is clearly probably the most highly effective a part of the emission, however it’s targeted in a selected route and may solely be intercepted if a collector corresponding to a satellite tv for pc antenna travels by way of the emission cone. The facet lobes unfold out over a a lot bigger space however are fainter. A satellite tv for pc with parabolic dishes can acquire the fainter facet lobes, whereas predominant beams will be collected in low Earth orbit with out giant dish antennas if the satellite tv for pc travels by way of them. Thus, despite the fact that the Program 989/Mission 7300 satellites weren’t notably giant, their dish antennas offered a functionality for intercepting faint, and extra prolific, radar facet lobes.

By the late Sixties and early Nineteen Seventies, the NRO was additionally launching a number of new courses of bigger alerts intelligence satellites to a lot greater orbits, together with geosynchronous orbits. Those satellites have been designed to gather Soviet microwave communications, missile and rocket telemetry, and different alerts. But they have been primarily restricted to northern hemisphere targets, for the satellites in extremely elliptical orbits, and to japanese hemisphere targets in the event that they have been positioned in geosynchronous orbit over the japanese hemisphere. In different phrases, a alerts intelligence satellite tv for pc positioned within the japanese hemisphere to watch communications from Moscow couldn’t additionally cowl targets over Central America. Program 989 low Earth orbiting satellites have been nonetheless vital for intercepting radar alerts largely as a result of the satellites have been nearer to their targets and coated the complete globe from their polar orbits. The low Earth orbiting satellites additionally may serve new customers, not simply the Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency and the “nationwide” degree clients of their intelligence just like the White House and senior army management.

Four URSALA satellites have been launched in the course of the Nineteen Seventies. The capacity of URSALA to supply knowledge to cell electronics vans deployed within the area made these satellites priceless for tactical customers. Tactical Exploitation of National CAPabilities (TENCAP) grew to become an necessary intelligence mission. (credit score: NRO)

URSALA and the daybreak of TENCAP

The Vietnam War performed an necessary half in inflicting a redirection within the low Earth orbit alerts intelligence program. In the mid to late Sixties, the NRO had launched greater than a dozen P-11 satellites designed to intercept anti-ballistic missile (ABM) radar alerts. But by 1969, lots of of American plane had been shot down by missiles over Vietnam, and for a number of years overhead imagery had detected a Soviet radar system deployed within the area, however no digital intercepts had been made (the identification of this radar continues to be deleted from declassified paperwork.) In addition, the prevailing satellites lacked the aptitude to seek for Ku-band emitters within the 12-to-18-gigahertz vary. Finally, radar consultants anticipated the Soviet Union to start deploying “double-agile radars” that might concurrently frequency hop from pulse-to-pulse and jitter in pulse repetition interval (the time between pulses) from pulse-to-pulse. A brand new functionality can be required to detect these rising radar threats.[7]

The lack of particular data about these rising high-threat alerts produced a set of necessities that might not be happy by a single system utilizing the expertise accessible on the time however led to the creation of two new satellite tv for pc methods: URSALA and RAQUEL.

“Back within the early 1970’s the brand new mission was to get knowledge on to the commander on the FEBA (Forward Edge of the Battle Area). I had a payload with potentialities if it might be ‘trailerized.’ We determined to go for it however wanted a catchy identify, so we used DRACULA…Direct Readout and Collection ULA (‘ULA’ was the three-letter shorthand for the URSALA payload).”

URSALA was designed to gather alerts from double-agile radars in bands from 2 to 12 gigahertz. It searched radar facet lobes, not their predominant beams. It was thought of a “normal search” system. RAQUEL was designed to not search from horizon-to-horizon, however to maximise the intercept time on comparatively brief slant vary targets through the use of a spinning pencil beam (i.e. the slim beam wherein a sign might be detected by the satellite tv for pc.)[8]: “Since the frequency of the alerts was not recognized, it was essential to develop a set system able to looking a large frequency vary. A method of associating the alerts positively with the [radar] was additionally required, as was a functionality to measure technical parameters exactly.” The RAQUEL satellites required extra time to develop than URSALA as a consequence of their elevated complexity.[9]

Four URSALA satellites have been deployed from HEXAGON photo-reconnaissance satellites in the course of the Nineteen Seventies. They have been positioned into roughly 509-kilometer (275-nautical-mile) round orbits. They have been designed to detect pulsed emitters primarily throughout the Soviet Union. URSALA represented a change in design philosophy for the NRO: somewhat than the customized strategy that was used for lots of the dozens of satellites produced in the course of the Sixties, SAFSP sought to standardize the satellites and their payloads. URSALA satellites additionally had some capacity to detect and geolocate ships at sea, though this was not a major mission.

URSALA I and II have been launched in 1972 and 1973 and designed for normal search and digital order of battle for pulsed and steady wave emitters with a frequency vary of two to 12 gigahertz. They weighed 178 kilograms (393 kilos) and had nine-month design lifetimes. URSALA I in the end lasted 70 months, and URSALA II lasted 61 months.[10]

Although URSALA (and later RAQUEL) was supposed to detect alerts from surface-to-air missile radars that have been deployed tactically, at the very least at first the satellites have been serving nationwide intelligence necessities, that means that their knowledge was evaluated in locations just like the National Security Agency, after which finally used to higher shield tactical plane. Tactical forces would not directly profit from the intelligence, however they’d not obtain it.

However, the 1973 battle within the Middle East prompted using the satellites for “operational help,” and the success of the URSALA I and II satellites on this position stimulated the event of methods for extra speedy knowledge processing, each on the satellites and on cell floor terminals.[11] This was apparently the start of a brand new mission for these small satellites, the evolution from their use primarily in help of strategic intelligence gathering to offering knowledge that might be straight utilized by army forces deployed across the global community—digital intelligence order of battle (EOB), or a sign of the kinds and places of enemy deployed digital emitters. For occasion, detecting Soviet SA-6 cell floor to air missile radars in a brand new location offered a sign that the missiles have been probably defending a shifting armor column, or a high-value goal like a area headquarters.

By the mid-Nineteen Seventies, Army and Air Force tactical customers have been turning into thinking about straight accessing the digital intelligence knowledge collected by the low Earth orbiting satellites, bypassing the NSA. They funded a program known as RTIP which in 1977 consisted of two vans—a cell antenna van and a processing van—that demonstrated the feasibility of direct downlink and on-board processing operation utilizing knowledge from the URSALA III satellite tv for pc.[12] This was the start of what grew to become often known as Tactical Exploitation of National CAPabilities, or TENCAP. As extra clients started utilizing the info produced by the satellites, they exerted a pull on NRO necessities (see “From the sky to the mud: TENCAP and adapting national reconnaissance systems to tactical operations,” The Space Review, June 19, 2023.)

After RTIP, the NRO’s West Coast workplace, together with the US Army, developed the Interim Tactical ELINT Processor (ITEP) vans, which have been first deployed in 1979. A follow-on van, often known as the Tactical ELINT Processor, was deliberate to work with the FARRAH spacecraft. However, ITEP proved appropriate to work with URSALA, RAQUEL, and FARRAH. The Air Force later dropped the “I” from ITEP, referring to it as TEP. The Army renamed its vans because the Electronic Processing and Dissemination System (EPDS), and by 1990 they have been extensively deployed all through the global community.[13]

According to at least one one that labored on the satellites throughout this time, “Back within the early 1970’s the brand new mission was to get knowledge on to the commander on the FEBA (Forward Edge of the Battle Area). I had a payload with potentialities if it might be ‘trailerized.’ We determined to go for it however wanted a catchy identify, so we used DRACULA…Direct Readout and Collection ULA (‘ULA’ was the three-letter shorthand for the URSALA payload).” The Air Force officer put collectively a briefing for NRO headquarters within the Pentagon. “General Bradburn favored the briefing however trashed the identify, saying that he may already hear the welcome by the East Coast: Oh, no, not one other blood sucking program from out west!”[14]

Before the launch of URSALA III in 1976, the NRO had determined to let this system die with the tip of URSALA IV. However, knowledge customers objected and there was stress to proceed or reinstate this system. “In order to do that funding from each the tactical EOB customers and the technical intelligence customers was wanted to cowl the prices of a alternative car,” an official historical past famous.[15] Although particulars are nonetheless restricted, apparently this meant that the Army, Navy, and Air Force have been required to pay for a part of the satellite tv for pc program. If so, this might have additionally given the service branches a larger say within the institution of necessities.

URSALA III and IV, launched in 1976 and 1979, have been additionally designed for normal search and digital order of battle detection missions and had the identical frequency vary of two to 12 gigahertz as their predecessors.[16] But they weighed considerably extra, at 259 kilograms (570 kilos), and have been designed with 18-month lifetimes. URSALA IV was outfitted with an encrypted downlink to allow its use by tactical forces.[17] URSALA III lasted 133 months and URSALA IV lasted 35 months.[18]

The RAQUEL 1A satellite tv for pc was launched in 1978 and in the course of the 1982 Falklands War it was used to collect alerts from Argentine deployed forces that have been most likely offered to the UK army. The satellite tv for pc might have performed a job in finding the sunshine cruiser ARA General Belgrano, which was sunk by a Royal Navy submarine. (credit score: NRO)

RAQUEL 1 and 1A

RAQUEL was much like URSALA in design, though supposed to go looking completely different frequency bands. Whereas URSALA was a “normal search” satellite tv for pc, RAQUEL was described as a “directed search and technical intelligence” satellite tv for pc. The major mission of RAQUEL was to “seek for, find, and determine new or uncommon alerts and to gather emitter mainbeam technical intelligence knowledge on alerts within the 4-18 GHz frequency vary in accordance with the National SIGINT Requirements List (NSRL). Additional mission necessities embody the gathering and reporting of operational ELINT knowledge.”[19] The satellite tv for pc additionally had a technical intelligence receiver that was able to recording positive knowledge concerning the alerts it detected. RAQUEL 1 was launched off a HEXAGON satellite tv for pc in October 1974, and RAQUEL 1A was launched from a HEXAGON in March 1978. RAQUEL 1A price $13.6 million in 1976, a sign of the approximate price of the satellites of this sort.[20] Initially there had been plans to develop a RAQUEL II, however the price was deemed extreme.

RAQUEL 1 weighed 256 kilograms (565 kilos) and was described because the “first of latest block of elevated functionality, excessive reliability spacecraft.” It had a design lifetime of 18 months, however finally lasted 63 months, till early 1980.[21,22]

RAQUEL 1A was declared operational by mid-May 1978, and “time vital reporting procedures for North Korea, the Middle East, and the Ethiopia-Somalia border have been carried out.”[23] It later intercepted and geolocated uplinks from Afghanistan that apparently indicated Soviet plans to invade the nation. Shortly after the Soviets started sending plane and supplies into Afghanistan in 1979, the satellite tv for pc detected a key Soviet communications satellite tv for pc uplink.

More inside quantity grew to become accessible inside the essential subsatellite form, and designers took benefit of this by packing in much more electronics. One officer who labored on this system calculated that the satellite tv for pc was now the density of strong mahogany.

During the 1982 Falklands War, the satellite tv for pc was reoriented to supply protection of utmost southern latitudes. This was potential whereas sustaining a lot of the standard northern hemisphere protection. The perspective maneuver was carried out throughout April 24–27, 1982, leading to two to 4 passes a day of daytime protection, offering high-quality assortment.[24] Details on the satellite tv for pc’s worth in the course of the Falklands War are unavailable, however apparent targets of curiosity would have been Argentine air protection radars deployed to the islands, in addition to the places of any Argentine naval vessels. Notably, the Argentine mild cruiser ARA General Belgrano was sunk on May 1 by a Royal Navy nuclear submarine, a number of days after RAQUEL 1A started monitoring the clash.[25]

The satellites had projected lifetimes of roughly three years however lasted over 4 occasions as lengthy. RAQUEL 1A was put into caretaker standing in March 1987, however was taken out and in of caretaker standing a number of occasions after that, together with an prolonged interval from August to October 1987 to watch a still-classified goal. In September 1990, operators ready to take the satellite tv for pc out of caretaker standing once more to help Desert Shield/Storm, however this proved pointless. RAQUEL 1A re-entered the ambiance in February 1992, after 14 years in orbit.

The first two FARRAH satellites have been box-like and deployed from HEXAGON satellites. FARRAH III, IV, and V have been bigger and initially supposed for launch from the house shuttle. They have been later switched to Titan II rockets. From their low Earth orbit, they may detect radar alerts and supply intelligence to tactical forces. (credit score: NRO)

FARRAHs I and II

By 1976, after reversing the choice to finish the low Earth orbit alerts intelligence program, the NRO determined to recombine the search and digital order of battle capabilities (with geolocation) that had been separated into the URSALA satellites and the technical intelligence capabilities that had been put into the RAQUEL satellites. This single car was initially known as “SAT 1.” The SAT 1 research was carried out by Lockheed and mixed the capabilities together with expanded frequency protection from 2 to 18 gigahertz. The idea was funded in 1977 and building began in 1978. The satellite tv for pc was renamed FARRAH.[27]

Changes to the bus-sized HEXAGON photo-reconnaissance satellite tv for pc enabled even heavier subsatellite payloads to be mounted to their sides.[28] In addition, discount in electronics measurement meant that extra inside quantity grew to become accessible inside the essential subsatellite form, and designers took benefit of this by packing in much more electronics. One officer who labored on this system calculated that the satellite tv for pc was now the density of strong mahogany.

The satellites have been outfitted with a CDC 469 on-board normal function digital pc. The pc was used for actual time “deinterleaving and readout on to distant tactical help vans.” This pc was small, light-weight, and power environment friendly for its time.[29,30]

FARRAH I and II, launched in 1982 and 1984, respectively, have been almost similar spacecraft whose mission was “to amass knowledge to fulfill General Search, Operational Elint, and Technical Intelligence necessities on alerts within the 2-18 GHz frequency vary.” The normal search necessities included excessive precedence Soviet, Chinese, and different directed goal areas. They additionally included recognized curiosity high-priority targets and strategic and tactical targets related to weapon methods present process improvement. Operational intelligence was collected for the needs of indications and warning, and Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty monitoring and pressure positioning. The FARRAH satellites additional developed the aptitude to supply knowledge to small tactical floor stations for US Army and Air Force models.[31]

The FARRAH satellites have been positioned in orbits of roughly 709 kilometers (383 nautical miles) altitude inclined 96 levels to the Equator. Each weighed roughly 340 kilograms (750 kilos) and so they have been designed with 36-month lifetimes, however ended up exceeding this by a considerable quantity.[32,33] In early 1991 each satellites misplaced their ultimate tape recorders, which restricted them to transpond assortment solely, that means that they may solely ship alerts after they have been each in line of sight with an emitter and a floor station. Despite having degraded considerably in the course of the Nineteen Eighties, each FARRAH I and II operated till the early 2000s, after they have been shut down after twenty years of service. FARRAH I ceased operations on November 3, 2004, 22 years after launch. FARRAH II was shut down on October 6, 2004, 20 years after launch. Both satellites have been positioned in a “non-recoverable state” and have been projected to stay in orbit in extra of fifty years.

During the Nineteen Seventies, the P-11-type satellites that had began out as comparatively small and cheap a decade earlier had steadily grown in mass, price, and functionality. They had additionally developed from largely strategic intelligence assortment methods to suppliers of operationally helpful intelligence knowledge to tactical models all through the global community. This had concerned not solely enhancements to the satellites, but in addition new floor methods and new methods of sharing knowledge. That additionally meant that new customers, notably the United States Army, emerged and started recommending the kinds of knowledge that was most helpful to them. TENCAP began with modest means however continued to develop.

The FARRAH satellites had antennas for intercepting completely different frequencies. The satellites spun at 50 RPM. (credit score: NRO)

The shuttle period: the FARRAH “tuna cans”

In 1980, the National Reconnaissance Office decided which of its satellite tv for pc packages would transition to make use of the Space Shuttle and which might proceed to make use of present expendable launch automobiles.[36] The GAMBIT and HEXAGON photo-reconnaissance satellite tv for pc packages have been each scheduled to retire in the course of the Nineteen Eighties and thus wouldn’t be modified to fly on the shuttle. Because the smaller Program 989 satellites like URSALA, RAQUEL, and FARRAH had launched off the facet of HEXAGON satellites, they would wish a brand new strategy to attain orbit after the tip of the HEXAGON program.

More inside quantity grew to become accessible inside the essential subsatellite form, and designers took benefit of this by packing in much more electronics. One officer who labored on this system calculated that the satellite tv for pc was now the density of strong mahogany.

As a results of this resolution, the NRO carried out an “ELINT Mix Study” and associated research to look at points associated to the transition of low altitude SIGINT packages to the shuttle. One chance was combining present low-altitude packages, or to interchange chosen low-altitude capabilities with an upgraded high-altitude satellite tv for pc (as had been finished with the big Program 770 STRAWMAN satellites within the early Nineteen Seventies). The NRO decided that present methods needs to be upgraded however not mixed. The upgraded satellites would even be launched together with Improved PARCAE ocean surveillance satellites on the shuttle.[37]

NRO officers determined not solely that future FARRAH satellites might be launched by the shuttle, however that they might be considerably enlarged to reap the benefits of the shuttle’s larger elevate capabilities. At least three of the brand new satellites can be procured: FARRAH III, IV, and V. They can be bigger and heavier than their predecessors with the identical identify, outfitted with extra antennas and receivers. The new satellites would weigh greater than 1,360 kilograms (3,000 kilos), in comparison with 340 kilograms for FARRAHs I and II.[38]

According to an official historical past up to date in 1991, the change from expendable rockets to the shuttle after which again once more for each the FARRAH and PARCAE packages “proved extraordinarily expensive” for each packages.

The NRO has now launched illustrations of the FARRAH III satellite tv for pc, indicating that it was a big, squat cylinder, typically known as a “tuna can,” and outfitted with three dish antennas and several other different pole antennas like its a lot smaller predecessor. FARRAH III had a tactical on-board processor and will direct downlink its knowledge to customers. One artist illustration confirmed this knowledge being transmitted to mounted floor stations, ground-based cell vans, and an plane provider. FARRAH may subsequently ship knowledge on to some ships. In distinction, on the time, knowledge was apparently in a roundabout way downlinked from the PARCAE ocean-surveillance satellites to ships however was first relayed by way of mounted floor stations for processing after which by way of geosynchronous communications satellites to ships at sea, in addition to by way of a devoted communications satellite tv for pc community in extremely elliptical orbits.

The satellites spun at 50 rpm and had three high-gain parabolic antennas that coated 0.8 to six, 6 to 12, and 12 to 18 gigahertz. The latter used “cooled front-end electronics” to obtain the upper frequencies. They have been additionally outfitted with single and double-boom omni antennas to suppress sidelobe interceptions.[39] FARRAH V had extra capabilities that stay categorised.[40] FARRAH III was apparently designed with a three-year nominal lifetime.[41]

In the mid-Nineteen Eighties, a number of of the FARRAH alerts intelligence satellites supposed for shuttle launch have been switched to make use of transformed Titan II ICBMs. Three have been launched beginning in 1988, though FARRAH IV failed in orbit. (credit score: Peter Hunter)

Although the plan had been to launch at the very least the primary three of those bigger FARRAH satellites on the shuttle, the NRO official in command of the FARRAH program realized that this might require main upgrades to the shuttle that may not be funded in time, if in any respect, and he selected to take away the satellites from the shuttle and launch them on transformed Titan II ICBMs as a substitute. Eventually, the PARCAE program additionally switched from the shuttle to the costly Titan IV rocket. According to an official historical past up to date in 1991, the change from expendable rockets to the shuttle after which again once more for each the FARRAH and PARCAE packages “proved extraordinarily expensive” for each packages.[42]

FARRAH III was launched in September 1988. FARRAH IV was launched in September 1989 however failed quickly after reaching orbit.[43] FARRAH V was launched in September 1992. No particulars have been launched about when FARRAH III and V ceased working, however in 2021 they have been noticed nonetheless spinning in orbit, and so they may presumably nonetheless be operational. In 1993, three extra Titan II rockets that had been assigned to “categorised payloads” have been made accessible for different packages. It is probably going that these three have been initially allotted to FARRAHs VI-VIII, however a program reorientation resulted of their cancellation.[44]

Although designed with a three-year nominal lifetime, FARRAH III was apparently nonetheless alive 9 years later.[45] Considering that its smaller predecessors lasted twenty years, FARRAHs III and V may have even been operational into the 2010s. Recently, the Space Force celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of operations of the primary Milstar communications satellite tv for pc, and Defense Support Program missile warning satellites stay operational after twenty years in orbit, indicating that lengthy lifetimes in orbit will not be uncommon for army satellites.

The FARRAH satellites may provide intelligence knowledge to tactical forces, ships, and even plane. Data might be recorded for later transmission, or straight transponded to a floor station as quickly because it was acquired. Fixed floor stations may additionally re-transmit knowledge. (credit score: NRO)

The knowledge from the FARRAH satellites might be despatched down in a number of other ways. Data from the Tactical Onboard Processor might be transmitted by direct downlink to receivers, both mounted or cell, together with ships at sea. The alerts intercepted by the satellites might be both recorded for later playback, or “transponded,” that means that the info was despatched as quickly because it was collected. Data despatched to a hard and fast floor station may then be relayed by way of a army comsat to a different floor station or different customers.[46]

An NRO doc defined that the distant working places “are NRO property strategically positioned close to excessive curiosity areas, offering larger, close to realtime protection with out placing tape recorder cycles on the satellites. This contiguous area of view between goal space and obtain web site reduces the variety of tape recorder cycles on the automobiles whereas preserving the intelligence worth. The mechanical tape recorders are the life-limiting issue on our store-and-forward mission capabilities.” There have been three distant working places for the satellites, though their places are nonetheless categorised.[47] The Mission 7300 knowledge was additionally “fused” with different knowledge, most definitely from the PARCAE ocean surveillance satellites.

The LORRI 2 payload was connected to the final HEXAGON photo-reconnaissance satellite tv for pc and was designed to go looking a little-used portion of the frequency spectrum to find out if it was being utilized by international army powers. The payload was destroyed when the Titan rocket carrying it blew up quickly after launch. (credit score: NRO)

LORRI I and II

In addition to the FARRAH satellites that served normal digital intelligence assortment necessities, SAFSP additionally oversaw the event of a number of specialised methods throughout this era, corresponding to LORRIs I and II, which have been supposed to survey parts of the spectrum that have been nonetheless largely unused by the army.

The idea for LORRI I used to be developed in 1973–1974, however restricted funding delayed its improvement.[48] LORRI I used to be an connected payload carried on a HEXAGON satellite tv for pc launched in 1980 and was “the primary satellite tv for pc collector of SIGINT within the 26-to-42-gigahertz frequency vary. It remained with its host spacecraft for its total lifetime of eight months.[49] LORRI I used to be supposed to survey this frequency vary to find out if it was being utilized by the Soviet Union or different international locations for brand new functions. It apparently demonstrated that the frequency vary was largely quiet. According to at least one doc, the Naval Research Laboratory’s NRO element workplace (often known as Program C) “flew an earlier, largely unproductive mission” much like LORRI I. (It is unclear what this mission was, however it might have been included on a POPPY satellite tv for pc.)[50]

LORRI II was expanded to cowl three extra frequency ranges. These have been 92 to 96 gigahertz, 70 to 74 gigahertz, and a VHF assortment window centered at 158 megahertz to gather alerts from a still-classified radar goal in addition to the big Soviet HEN HOUSE ABM and space-tracking radars.[51]

LORRI II was mounted to the facet of the final HEXAGON photo-reconnaissance satellite tv for pc, which was deliberate to have a for much longer lifetime than earlier HEXAGONs, staying in orbit lengthy after its movie ran out. That satellite tv for pc and the LORRI II payload have been misplaced when the Titan 34D rocket exploded quickly after liftoff in April 1986. This prompted the NRO to seek for near-term alternate options to interchange the aptitude. One resolution was a small satellite tv for pc often known as GLORIA I. The different was to make modifications to FARRAH III, then roughly one 12 months from launch.[52]

Two categorised GLORIA satellites have been carried into orbit on house shuttle missions STS-28R in 1989 and STS-39 in 1991. The secret satellites have been carried in containers within the shuttle’s payload bay. (credit score: NASA)

GLORIA

GLORIA I used to be a small satellite tv for pc deployed from the payload bay of the house shuttle Columbia in the course of the STS-28R mission in 1989. It was a spin-stabilized satellite tv for pc with a single one-foot (30-centimeter) parabolic receiver. GLORIA I used to be initially conceived to gather alerts within the 18-to-26-gigahertz area, however the lack of LORRI II resulted in a change to intercept the next frequency band.[53] GLORIA I’s major mission was a normal seek for pulsed emitters within the 30-to-38-giaghertz frequency area, repeating a survey of this frequency band that had been carried out by LORRI I almost a decade earlier. It was additionally supposed to check the feasibility of low-cost, fast response satellites and was typically thought of a hit. Because GLORIA didn’t discover any new or uncommon makes use of for this frequency area, the NRO decided that one other survey wouldn’t be wanted for a decade. Early in the course of the mission, the satellite tv for pc’s strong state reminiscence suffered from radiation and “latch up” issues, which have been overcome.

The GLORIA satellites have been comparatively small (be aware the scissors on the desk) and used to go looking parts of the radio spectrum for brand new emitters. (credit score: NRO)

GLORIA II was a virtually similar satellite tv for pc deployed from the house shuttle Discovery in the course of the STS-39 mission in 1991. GLORIA II’s reminiscence, command decoder, and mass reminiscence controller had been upgraded to beat early flight deficiencies.[54] Both GLORIA satellites have been constructed by Ball Brothers, with the payload constructed by E-Systems. They have been supposed to fulfill a requirement for fast response, low price, and restricted time mission targets. GLORIA II surveyed 18-to-26-gighertz frequencies for radar and communications emitters, a frequency area that had not beforehand been coated by NRO satellites. GLORIA II did detect an unknown radar, though particulars are unavailable. A GLORIA III was apparently evaluated, however not developed.

CARRIE was launched in 1994 as a part of the STEX satellite tv for pc (also called DARPASAT). It was designed to detect communications and supply intelligence knowledge to American tactical forces. (credit score: NRO)

CARRIE

CARRIE stood for COMINT and Rapid Reporting Interferometry Experiment.[56] CARRIE began out as an idea throughout the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for an “experimental satellite tv for pc offering direct help to warfighters.” The deliberate mission lifetime was one 12 months, however the satellite tv for pc lasted eight years till reentering the ambiance in 2002. The satellite tv for pc was designed to be rapidly responsive, that means that the gathering necessities might be quickly modified whereas the satellite tv for pc was overhead.

The CARRIE satellite tv for pc was launched as a ride-share on a Taurus rocket in 1994, a part of the STEX satellite tv for pc. One of its contributions to intelligence assortment was discovering proof of “heritage” Soviet communications methods nonetheless working in Cuba. It additionally geolocated new and unidentified emitters in a number of international locations.

CARRIE was thought of to be a part of Mission 7200, as a result of it was connected to STEX. CARRIE’s focus was on communications intelligence. STEX was apparently additionally used to relay knowledge from FARRAH satellites that had misplaced their tape recorders just a few years earlier, though it’s unclear how STEX achieved this.[57]

Mission 7300 ends

A abstract produced in late 1997 indicated that Mission 7300 (the FARRAH satellites) and Mission 7200 (the CARRIE satellite tv for pc) had detected 55 new alerts in 1993, 52 in 1994, 49 in 1995, 33 in 1996, and 18 new alerts by September 1997.[58] Clearly the variety of new detections was declining over this era, though whether or not this was due to the collapse of the Soviet Union or the restrictions of the satellites is unknown.

As early as 1980 there have been research throughout the NRO about presumably merging the PARCAE ocean surveillance system with the satellites of Mission 7300. That merger was rejected on the time in favor of upgrading each methods. But the existence of two methods for low Earth orbit alerts intelligence assortment, together with the rising price of each, required NRO officers to defend them, apparently each from the White House’s Office of Management and Budget and related congressional committees.

The Mission 7100 ocean surveillance program resulted in 2008, however it’s unclear when, or if, the Mission 7300 alerts intelligence program additionally ended, or if a number of the satellites stay in operation regardless of having been supplanted by a brand new effort beginning within the Nineteen Nineties.

At some level in the course of the Nineteen Eighties, this system workplace for Mission 7300 produced a doc explaining “Why Mission 7300 does so effectively in detecting new alerts.” It declared that the system was “superior in its capacity to search out new alerts within the SIGINT setting as a result of it has the next inherent traits: particular system capabilities, and in depth parametric and geolocation info from a single blip (pulse or CW pattern).”[59] The particular system capabilities included full Earth protection, together with the southern hemisphere and broad ocean areas. It “continues to judge the global community setting previous to, throughout, and after occasions. While different methods are specializing in global community occasions, Mission 7300 continues to supply General Search knowledge.” It additionally had in depth frequency protection of two to 18 gigahertz, plus 20 to 60 megahertz, 150 to 170 megahertz, and 30 to 38 gigahertz, with future functionality (presumably in FARRAH V) together with the areas 0.8 to 2 gigahertz and 18 to 26 gigahertz. The system had speedy frequency span protection and geolocation with a single collector.

All of the Mission 7300 knowledge was processed and analyzed. This was apparently in distinction to the PARCAE knowledge, which was not utterly processed. As one former PARCAE contractor famous, at the very least within the early years of this system a lot of the info was discarded as a result of there was an excessive amount of to course of.

According to paperwork launched by the NRO, the low Earth orbit alerts intelligence mission and the ocean surveillance mission have been finally merged in the course of the Nineteen Nineties. The Mission 7100 ocean surveillance program resulted in 2008, however it’s unclear when, or if, the Mission 7300 alerts intelligence program additionally ended, or if a number of the satellites stay in operation regardless of having been supplanted by a brand new effort beginning within the Nineteen Nineties.

Today, satellite tv for pc intelligence is built-in into army operations extra extensively than ever earlier than, the final word legacy of Program 989 and its satellites named after film actresses.

Acknowledgement: The writer needs to thank NW for his in depth assist.

References

1. “P-989 Historical Summary and Aerospace Support,” November 1972, C05098605, p. 3. This and the opposite paperwork can be found here.
2. The Program 989 designation was discontinued someday within the Nineteen Eighties, presumably changed by one other identify which is deleted within the titles of a number of late-Nineteen Eighties paperwork. The deletions are too lengthy to be a quantity. For instance, see: “[Deleted] SIGINT Collection Systems,” November 1, 1987, C05098752.
3. Mission 7800 referred to an “intrusion detection system” most likely mounted to most satellites to detect makes an attempt to hack them. This was the successor to a program within the Sixties often known as “BIT.”
4. “Mission 7300 Evolution,” [n.d. but probably 1990], C05098529, p. 19.
5. Ibid. Information on MABELI is on pp. 15-19.
6. Ibid., p. 22. According to at least one doc, a number of of those are acronyms, though it’s extremely probably that they have been “backronyms,” that means that they got here up with the identify first after which created an acronym that match. They are: URSALA = Universal Radar Search And Location Acquisition; RAQUEL = Radar AcQUisition Equipment with Location; SHARON = Signal Handling And RecognitiON. “P-989 Historical Summary and Aerospace Support,” November 1972, C05098605.
7. Ibid., p. 20.
8. Ibid., p. 22.
9. “A Brief History of the U.S. Low Earth Orbit Reconnaissance Programs,” n.d. C05027386. (Note that one other model of this historical past is dated 1991.)
10. “Mission 7300 Evolution,” p. 6.
11. “A Brief History of the U.S. Low Earth Orbit Reconnaissance Programs,” n.d. C05027386.
12. “Mission 7300 Evolution,” pp. 25-26.
13. Ibid.
14. Peter Swan and Cathy Swan, “Birth of Air Force Satellite Reconnaissance,” Lulu.com, 2015, p. 129.
15. “Mission 7300 Evolution,” p. 31.
16. “Subsatellites,” n.d. (1974) C05098790.
17. “A Brief History of the U.S. Low Earth Orbit Reconnaissance Programs,” n.d. C05027386.
18. “Mission 7300 Evolution,” p. 6.
19. “Mission 7300 Monthly Collection Summary,” September 1988, C05098530.
20. “989 Program Plan,” July 7, 1976, C05098571.
21. “Subsatellites.”
22. “Mission 7300 Evolution,” p. 6. Although some paperwork use Roman numerals for the 2 RAQUEL satellites (I and IA), others use the numbers 1 and 1A.
23. “Section VI: Spacecraft,” n.d. (however roughly February 1992), C05098535.
24. Ibid.
25. “Mission 7300 Evolution.” Falkland Islands War is talked about on p. 32.
26. “Section VI: Spacecraft.”
27. “Mission 7300 Evolution,” p. 31.
28. “A Brief History of the U.S. Low Earth Orbit Reconnaissance Programs,” n.d. C05027386.
29. “[Deleted] SIGINT Collection Systems,” November 1, 1987, C05098752.
30. “Mission 7300 Program History,” n.d., C05098534.
31. “Mission 7300 Monthly Collection Summary,” September 1988, C05098530
32. “A Brief History of the U.S. Low Earth Orbit Reconnaissance Programs,” n.d. C05027386. Another supply signifies that the design lifetime was 2.5 years, or 30 months.
33. “Mission 7300 Program History.”
34. Peter B. Teets, Director, NRO, “Termination of FARRAH-1 (Mission 7346) Mission Operations,” November 12, 2004. C05098412.
35. Peter B. Teets, Director, NRO, “Termination of FARRAH-2 (Mission 7347) Mission Operations,” October 14, 2004. C05098413.
36. “A Brief History of the U.S. Low Earth Orbit Reconnaissance Programs,” n.d. C05027386.
37. Ibid.
38. Ibid.
39. “Mission 7300 Payload,” n.d., C05098533, pp. 8-9.
40. “[Deleted] Orientation Course,” M7200 & M7300 System Overview, April 28, 1998, C05098519, p.11.
41. Ibid,, p. 13. The doc is considerably complicated as a result of though the quilt web page signifies it was produced in 1998, web page 13 features a reference to the FARRAH program being “Still alive in 2005!”
42. “A Brief History of the LEO Program,” (file dated 8/13/91), C05098892, pp. 7-8.
43. FARRAH IV is referenced in C05098529, p. 3.
44. See Jeffrey Richelson, The U.S. Intelligence Community, 4th Ed. 1999, pp. 195-186.
45. “[Deleted] Orientation Course,” p. 13.
46. “Mission Planning Mission 7300,” contained in “Chapter 5, Command and Control,” [n.d. but probably 1990], p. 41. C05098521.
47. Ibid.
48. “Mission 7300 Evolution,” p. 49.
49. “Program History Mission 7300,” n.d. (approx. 1985), C05098521.
50. “Mission 7300 Evolution,” p. 49.
51. Ibid.
52. William H. Webster, Director of Central Intelligence, to Louis Stokes, Chairman, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, U.S. House of Representatives, July 24, 1987. CO5098518. The letter notes that the small payload can be accessible for launch in summer time 1988, but it surely was not launched till summer time 1989.
53. “Mission 7300 Evolution,” p. 49.
54. Ibid., p. 50.
55. Section II, “The [Deleted] Low Earth Orbit SIGINT System (Mission 73XX), November 3, 1989, C05098800
56. “Mission 7300 Program History,” n.d., C05098534.
57. “[Deleted] Orientation Course,” p.12.
58. Ibid., p. 7.
59. “Why Mission 7300 Does So Well in Detecting New Signals,” [n.d.], C05098523.

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Dwayne Day will be reached at [email protected].

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