PROJECT CORONA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75B00514R000200050013-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 5, 2004
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: April 9, 1958
• Content Type: REPORT

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TOP SECRET
PROJECT CORONA
CO 0011
Copy No.
9 April 1958
I. Purpose: Project CORONA contemplates the covert development
and subsequent operational use of a short lived reconnaissance satellite from
which, at the completion of its mission, a recoverable capsule containing
exposed film is separated for return and pick up in a preselected ocean area.
Prior to the initiation of this project, the development of such a system had
been started by the Air Force as a part of Weapons System 117-L but was
officially cancelled early in March. Thus, CORONA involves the picking up
and carrying through covertly of a program already undertaken together with
technical modifications therein as indicated below.
Z. Confiliurations: Taking advantage of arrangement. already made by
the Air Force, the basic vehicle for Preject CORONA will be a two stage
rocket consisting of the same second stage that is being built by Lockheed for
WS-I17-L with a Thor booster as the first stage (in place of the Atlas booster
that will be the first stage of the I17-L vehicle). It is proposed to develop for
CORONA two different payloads to be carried by this vehicle, of which one will
be the configuration originally adopted by the Air Force and the second will be
a more sophisticated configuration developed as a back-up or follow-on to the
first.
a. The design of the first configuration provides for a pod contain-
ing camera, film, and recoverable capsule to be separated from the
second stage rocket and spin stabilised after it is in orbit. The camera
has a focal length of six inches and scans as the pod spins. The second
configuration will provide for a nonspinning stabilised platform from
which a twenty-four inch focal length camera continuously looks downward
toward the earth and takes pictures by scanning from side to side.
b. The first configuration has the advantage of using a simpler
method of stabilization with which there has been greater experience.
More than a month's work has already been done on it. It can be ready
for an initial firing before the end of this year whereas the second con-
figuration probably cannot be ready for some three to al: months there-
after. Since somewhat less development is required for the first con-
figuration, the technological risk involved in its production is smaller.
NRO, USAF and ONI review(s) completed.
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On the other hand, as compared to the second configuration, it has
only one-quarter of the focal length and is forced to use fast film
which yields grainy photography. This configuration is not expected
to have a resolution of better than sixty feet on the ground whereas
the second configuration is expected to have a resolution of about
twenty feet. Moreover, the second configuration has more opportunity
for technical g r o wth" in the direction of the use of longer focal
length cameras and further improvement in resolution.
3. Rationale: Provision for the development of both of these configura-
tions represents a technical change in the program originally launched by the
Air Force and will increase its total cost. Nevertheless. it is believed that
this procedure is desirable and will constitute a well balanced program.
Development of the first configuration will serve two important purposes:
a. It will furnish invaluable experience with the basic vehicle
and with operational and recovery techniques.
b. Pending availability of the second configuratio . the first
(despite limitations on the quality of the photography) will permit the
detection of major reconnaissance targets, such as missile sites under
construction, or presently unknown communities or major installations
in the Soviet far north.
It is proposed that only six units of this configuration be produced and it is
estimated that only two or three of theme will be ouccesefully orbited and will
operate without malfunction. It is only with the availability of the second con-
figuration, however, that this reconnaissance system can be expected to yield
significant intelligence on Soviet resources and on the nature and purposes of
Soviet installations (as distinct from possible indication of the existence of
unsuspected installations). It will probably be desirable to produce twelve
to fifteen of the second configuration. These numbers and availability dates
for both configurations would support a program of missile firings throughout
1959 at the rate of one a month for the first half of the year and two a month
thereafter.
4. Administration: CORONA is being carried out under the authority of
the Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency
with the support and participation of the U.S. Air Force. ARPA has authorised
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and will exercise general technical supervision over the development of the
vehicle. Detailed supervision of vehicle development is being performed by
the Ballistic Missile Division USAF acting as agent for ARPA. The Ballistic
Missile Division has also assumed the responsibility for the provision of
necessary ground facilities. CIA participates in supervision of the technical
development, especially as applied to the actual reconnaissance equipment,
is undertaking all procurement that must be handled covertly, and has general
responsibility for cover and for the maintenance of security, in the operational
phase actual missile launchings will be carried out at Ciunp Cook by technical
staffs of the companies that are building this reconnaissance system. Subject
to approval by the appropriate political authorities, the general schedule cif
launchings will be determined by the availability of vehicles and launching
facilities. Specific timing within this schedule will be determined so far as
possible on the basis of weather prevailing over target areas. For both cover
and control purposes the reporting of weather and the selection of specific
firing dates will be done through an already existing CIA channel.
5. Cover and Security: As noted above the initial step taken to place
this undertaking on a truly covert basis was the cancellation of the program
already started by the Air Force as a part of its WS-117.L development. 'the
cover and security arrangements already made or contemplated are as f llows:
a. Sibsequest to the ostensible cancellation, extremely limited
numbers of individnals in the participating companies were cleared for
and advised of procedures to be employed in CORONA. Compartmenta-
tion of this project from other activities has been established in a
satisfactory manner in all of the companies and an internal cover story
has been worked out for use in each company to explain to unwitting
company personnel the nature of the compartmented and highly classified
work which will be going forward. Generally speaking the personnel
actually employed in the design and production of the classified reconnais-
sance equipment must be witting of its true purpose.
b. Since actual missile firings attract public attention, a cover
explanation will be required during the operational phase to explain
plausibly the dozen or More launchings that will take place and the
recovery operations which will be carried out by the Navy and will
involve considerable numbers of Naval personnel. A cover story for
certain parts of the developmental work and for some or all of the
firings will explain these observable events as parts of a program to
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conduct experimental space flights i laboratorymale. Partly
in support of this cover, but also for their own inherent scientific
value. a recovery capsule suitable for carrying an animal and
appropriately instrumented will actually be developed and at least
three biomedical launchings and recoveries will be attempted. It is
planned that when reconnaissance equipment is to be launched. the pod
containing it will be substituted for the biomedical pod just before
firing and it is believed knowledge of this substitution can be limited
to a few witting individuals in the launching crews. As a supplementary
cover story it may be possible to explain some of the firings as incidents
in a program of nose cone re-entry tests.
c. Great technical ingenuity and carefully worked out procedures
will be required to maintain the plausibility of either or both of these
cover stories. Although planning is still at an early stage it is believed
that they can be supported. It will be highly desirable not only to explain
the quite =concealable firing and recovery activities but also to conceal
the fact that the vehicle involved ever enters into orbit, since the
suspicion will inevitably arise that any orbiting vehicle is in fact being
used for reconnaissance. With this objective in view the possibility
of describing the vehicle as a missile rather than a short lived satellite
is being studied. If it appears feasible the cover stories will be modified
In this fashion.
4. The strictestsecurity control is being maintained over all
aspects of CORONA. AU communications which reflect the existence
of this project are handled within Top Secret procedures. A list of all
individual* who are witting of the project is maintained. individuals
are cleared for and made knowledgeable of the project only on a strict
need-to-know basis. Additional clearances may be granted only with
prior approval from the CIA project office and this authority will not
be delegated to any other organization concerned with the project.
6. Procurement: Of the total procurement required for CORONA, as
Large a proportion as possible will be handled relatively overtly as a part of
the WS-117-L and other programs. In accordance with this general plan,
both the Thor booster, which is produced by Douglas for a number of military
applications and the Lockheed second stage vehicle which (as noted above) is
being developed for WS-117-L will simply be allocated from the production
schedules for these items that are already in effect and will be procured by th
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Air Force. Only the pods containing reconnaissance equipment and the
recoverable film cassettes will be procured covertly by the Central Intelligence
Agency. Production of only the covert items will be compartmented in the
several companies. The responsibility for final assembly will rest with
Lockheed and arrangements are being made which will permit Lockheed's
production, testing, and the bulk of its check-out activities to be compartmented
and securely carried out up to the moment when the reconnaissance pod is
substituted for a biomedical or instrumented nose cone payload.
7. Financial: The total cost of .in units of the first configuration would
X'NRO be aPProximatelir dollars, including a rather arbitrary allowance
XtIRO of dollars per unit for the booster, second stage vehicle, and cost*
XisIRO of launching. 'dollars of these costs, which represent Air Force
procurement, would be financed by the Air Force or ARPA in accordance with
arrangements for the financing of WS-117-L. The dollars to cover
the costs of covertly procured items would, it is proposed, be financed by the
Central Intelligence Agency subject to the obtaining of funds from the Agency's
Reserve.
't:RMB:dhrri Apr 58)
irtct DireCtOr
iS - Mr Horner
-,-TistiF-13a1listic Missile Div - (Gen Ritland)
- Dr. Herbert York
Dir CORONA Chrono
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