ARGO MEETING - ROOM 208 - EOB, 0930-1330, JULY 22, 1970

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T01137A000200030006-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 25, 2010
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: July 24, 1970
• Content Type: MEMO

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24 July 1970
Copy ~_
SUBJECT: ARGO Meeting -Room 208 - EOB, 0930-1330,
July ZZ, 1970
1. chaired the meeting assisted b}
2. The first subject was a discussion led by ESSA on the manner
by which tornadoes do their damage. A film presentation was included
consisting of radar flown over a tornado and ESSA satellite tornado
coverage -- with a few overlays of radar over the satellite imagery.
Frames 15 minutes apart were used reducing the motion film coverage
of-say-8 hours, for example, to seconds. The major point appeared to
be further knowledge from the reported first impression years ago
that damage was caused by drawing ~ surface objects into the center
of the tornado - to the current understanding that the damage is caused
by the winds at the edge of the tornados. These winds are normally
counter-clockwise with 15$ clockwise. They might consist of a 100
yards wide edge of a 2-mile-wide tornado. If the tornado is "tipped"
on its side enough only one edge section will be damaging. Much of
this information was determined by imagery of post-tornado swaths
with strai ht arcs or spiral paths of material left by these wind
edges. ~ made an interesting comment on some writings by Myron 25X1
Tribus (Ass't Sec'y Commerce who has been briefed here in NPIC and who,
I believe, has just been appointed by the President as Head of a special
interagency group on weather modification problems -which will face the
decisions on whether "to seed or not to seed" (modify 'cane, etc.,
thus possibly causing damage suits against the U.S.). commented 25X1
that Tribus has reco~mnended great caution on attempts to ify hurricanes,
tornados, thunderstorms, etc. until we are sure we know enough of what we're
doing. -- The ESSA rep said we might have a home TV weather channel in a
few years (something like the channel continuously running the stock market
reporting) which will give us continuous pictoral reporting (providing the
viewer a chance to look at the weather for his area or the immediate area
north, south, east, or west into which he may be driving -for example).
3. OEP, reported that the head of the Disaster 25X1
Working Group OEP) had approved the report which will 25X1
be final typed next week (thanks to the return from leave of his
secretary - ??). The report will be given to the Office of The Chairman,
ARGO, which will distribute it to all agencies. The report is unclassified
and does not refer to its TKH annex which will be distributed in parallel
with the report. This distribution should occur by August 3rd. Comments,
if there are any more, of the receiving agencies should be made to Chairman
~~,.,~ ~~--_+ ~?-~ r~-,~,~-~-~ ,~,~.~ 25X1
[XN.~'~ _....~+.! .. it (~~r i
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i
AR(~O by Aug. 13th or 14th. Final approval should occur at the S tember
meeting of ARO0 and the report forwarded to 25X1
will then transmit to the cabinet level for formal agreement. CARGO
file and past Its contain references and comments on the disaster
working group report.) -- D reported that OEP now had the budget 25X1
and would begin construction of its SI/TK cleared center and its
communications and information center (secure phone, wire services,
presentation equipment, etc.).
4. There was limited discussion on the RBV (return beam vidicon)
following comment by that he'd been tom recently and 25X1
found there were bugs in the system. He mentioned camera shifting ~~,_.
particularly. He and (1i0 D' - SGS) talked about the 25X1
planned correlation between ER'fS-A, aircraft imagery. 1~x~
Without (absent) from NASA, discussion seemed rather 25X1
S. presented his proposal for complete high altitude 25X1
(U-2) coverage o the U.S. His proposal and recommendations are
attached. Also attached is a related aper along similar lines written
at NAS~/Houston. will obtain probable cost figures 25X1
in a week or two. iese figures wi a given to user agencies for
their consideration as they put in their requirements. The total
requirements should be summed up in six or seven weeks for consideration
at the next meeting.
and returned at end of meeting. Discussion did not indicate anyone's
concern. Other than some minor points, Otto Guthe and I felt it was
consistent with what we believe is policy. It will be considered
again later when was a chance to put his thoughts on ARO0 25X1
together, following sub-cabinet talks on that subject.
7. ~~ reported on his talks to date at sub-cabinet or ~~~~
asst sec'y level. He covered all agencies so far except Commerce.
They are: Transportation, State, Interior, NASA, State/AID, and
Agriculture. He said the views on ARO0 ranged from "most important" to
complete indifference. He had been careful to stress that he was not
selling AR(~D. While not yet prepared to report, he said the degree
of classification makes use difficult according to almost all user
agencies. Other general views: 3 agencies said AR(~ access important
to them, - almost all felt it was the only device keeping attention
focused on ERTS, - also most felt learning of present problems in
handling classified systems gave them a start on future ERTS problems.
_ Otto and I advised of current COMIREX reinterest in 1x1
this question and the possible effect of SALT, prior experience of NSAM
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I, ~ , . ~, , , ~.: .. ~,
156 co~nittee, etc. were mentioned. 0 had some thoughts that
when ERTS System(s) are flying AR00 might no longer be needed -perhaps
a single relationship could be established. He will make available a
precis of his survey in September.
8. The Chairman's office will call members regarding time for
Attachment:
As stated (UNCLASSIFIED)
Distribution:
Copy 1 ~ 2 - NPIC/PPBS/PPD, w/attach
3 - NPIC/TSG/APSD
4 - NPIC/TSG/RES/~
5 - NPIC/IEG (Attu
w/attach
w/attach
ttach
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HIGI-I ALTITUDE AIRPIIOTO COVERAGE
of the United States
Background
Between 194S and 1955 nearly complete aerial photographic coverage of
the United States was obtained by the Army Map Service from flight
licig}lts of 30,000 feet and above. These photographs have been utilized
repeatedly by many organizations for cartographic and noncartographic
purposes, However, they no longer represent timely coverage for large
areas o.f. the country,
Today the capability exists within the Government of obtaining photographs
from altitudes of 60,000 feet and above. The performance of aerial
cameras has been substantially improved, and new high resolution black
and ~ahite and color responsive films can provide afar greater information
content per exposure than was heretofore possible.
T1ie first Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS-A) is planned for
launch in early 1972. Aerial photographs will provide spatial corre-
lation and a large measure of "ground truth" which will simplify and
expand the application of ERTS imagery for many users both within and
outside the government.
Photographs taken at this time will provide a pictorial base for all
users wishing to correlate their data with the 1970 census records.
It is therefore appropriate at this time to consider new high altitude
coverage of the country using these new capabilities.
Department of Interior Requirements
Several bureaus of the Interior Department have indicated specific
requirements or applications of high altitude photography.
Geological Survey Topographic Division
Aerotriangulation to establish horizontal control for mapping
Image base for revising large scale topographic maps (1:24,000)
in either line or orthophoto editions
Image base for both recompilation and revision of medium scale
maps (1:250,000) in either line or orthophoto editions
A map supplement which, with minimal orientation data, can be
distributed to the public without further processing
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LI:OS Program Office
Spatial correlation for ERTS imagery
Spectral and geometric calibration for ERTS
imagery
Ground truth base for use with temporal ERTS coverage
Image correlation with 1970 census data
? Bureau of Land Management
Image base for land use classification of public lands
Other bureaus in the Interior Department have expressed a general interest
in the use of high altitude photography if it were available
? Geological Survey Geologic Division
0
Bureau of Mines
? National Park Service
? Fish and FVildlife Service
? Bureau of Outdoor Recreation
? Bureau of Indian Affairs
implications in Other Departments
It is anticipated that other government agencies would also make extensive
use of high altitude photography
0
Census Bureau
A permanent photographic record of the country to supplement
the 1970 census
? Coast and Geodetic Survey
Aerotriangulation to establish horizontal control, and chart
compilation
Department of Agriculture
Image base for thematic mapping and resource inventories prepared
by Forest Service, Soil Conservation Service, Commodity Stabi-
lization Service, Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation
Service
~~
~i ~i;l.l 4. f
~~~~
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Lj ~J E~..-~?~~~~~~ ~~~J A' chment t_n
o Corps of Engineers (civil works)
Image base for mapping and construction planning
Bureau of Public Roads
Coverage of interstate highway network
Suggested Configuration
Department of Interior applications would be satisfied best by having
simultaneous coverage flown in high resolution black and white and
color infrared. Optimum utility would be obtained by having a photo-
graph approximately centered over each 7.5-minute (1:24,000) map
quadrangle. To produce this photography the following parameters are
suggested;
0
Flight configuration
Altitude 20.55 km (67,500 ft)
North South flights
? Cartographic camera
Focal length 152 mm (6 inch)
Format 23 x 23 cm (9 x 9 inch)
Photo scale 1:135,000
Forward overlap 55%
Consecutive exposure spacing 13.9 km
Sidelap 65%
Flight line spacing 10.8 km
Coverage per frame 30.8 x 30.8 km
Camera type Wild, Zeiss (or equal)
Film type - color infrared 2443 (or equal)
Thematic camera
Focal length 305 mm (12 inch)
Format 23 x 23 cm (9 x 9 inch)
Photo scale 1:67,500
Forward overlap~l0% .
.Consecutive exposure spacing 13.9 km
Sidelap 30%
Flight line spacing 10.8 km
Coverage per frame 15.4 x 15.4 km
Camera type - Zeiss (or equr~.l)
Film type - black and white 3404 ?(or equal)
* A 12 inch focal length, 9 x 18 inch format camera with 55% forward
overlap and.the 18 inch dimension in the line of flight is an acceptable
alternative.
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~~ - ~~ -'~' ~ ~';~~~~ Attachment to
O
Processing and dissemination
Processing must be accomplished in a controlled laboratory
to preserve the geometry, resolution, and color quality
of the photography
Original film must be available on unclassified basis for use
in making copies for government agencies and general public
Availability of photography must be made known through normal
indexing and publication procedures
Recommendations
0
ARGO conunittee members should canvas the agencies they represent
to determine applications, coverage requirements, and camera,
film, and flight parameters
o
The ARGO conunittee should prepare a definitive set of specifications
incorporating as many requirements as possible
? The ARGO committee should exercise the means at its command to
implement the recomm d
d
en e
high altitude photography program
- Specific priorities for coverage should be established, but
the target objective should be to obtain near complete
coverage of the United States by 1972. .
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COPY
- MEb10RANDUM
To: TF3/Chief, Aircraft Project Office
- In reply refer to?
From:. ~ ~'3/M19-70 25X1
Subject: Mapping the United States with the RB57F
Recent]y, I read a.comment by 25X1
1,500,000 pictures and ten USGS, that it would take
was made in su Years o map the United States. This statement
pport of Earth Resources satellites, Although satellites
certainly have a tremendous advantage in
.field-of-view, etc., the RB Photographic coverage, lifetime,
57F does provide a tremendous synoptic view
of the earth at altitudes above 60,000 ft. and at a fraction of the cost.
If you consider the time element~~ I would almost venture to say that we
could "probably even deliver the goods before the satellite.
I think if more people in the User Agencies were made aware of our hi h
altitude capabilities, we could do more for the scientific community in
the field of earth resources both national and international,
Perhaps you might desire to make more of them aware of the RB
and its capabilities by making this 57F Program
proposal available to them.
How to map the ~+8 contiguous United States (Alaska and Hawaii too if desires)
With the present team of some 20 Air Force three NASA and four Contractors
.already "combat tested". in the Earth Resources Aircraft Program map the ~8
States in a systematic, methodical manner with the RB57F'o Consider the
inputs of all the User Agencies and NASA Scientists in selecting cameras,
films and filters, seasonal problems, terrain, etc.
Use the already proven concept of block coverage from the five existing
~57F supporting Air Bases; Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, McClell.a.n AFB,
California, McCoy AFB, Florida, Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan and Ellington AFB,
Texas. Deploy to any given base until most of the "blocks" within the
1000 nautical miles of that base are covered, Consideration would be given
to such weather factors as "no snow on the ground," "cloud coverage less
than 3/10ths" etc. For example; deploy to Wurtsmith AFB, Michigan during
the summer in order to map the North and East when there is no snow on the
ground and deploy to McCoy AFB, Florida, during the winter to map the South
and Southwestern parts of the U.S.
Date: January 26, 1970
ttachment to
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l'-~~ ~~:~~.`i~'~ !~ I~ i'~;~;~~P ~ tach~ent to
Most of our five base; are at the extremities of the U,S. ;o that v
have a 1000 nautical mile ra,clius for about a hall' circle or an areacofc o~
1,500,000 nautical mi1cU2 which i~ me
that we would not have to~dePloy to allufaveabase; It ii even very likely
have reached the Imperial Va11e due ~o this layout. We
others from >;11in ton AF y' Phoenix, Purdue, Tennessee Valley and
bility of the RB g. B~ Texas.. This illustrates the tremendous flexi_
571'. I would estimate that 25-50~ of the U.S. could be
? mapped out of Houston, Texas. This of course, would greatly reduce the
total cost a The cost estimate assumes that 20f of the U.S. is ma
from each base, which is conservative. Peed
.Since the RB57F became operational in J
mapped about 9~ of the U.S. at the leisu.r~e 1969' to the present, we have
pace indicated below:
Mission
loo ~
7/l~ ~ 6
-21/ 9
Flights
l03
.7/30-8/15-69
3
l
6
8/25-9/17/69
9
0
l
/
/2/69
9-
8
lo
112
8
1
6
/ 9/ 9
3
116
19/7-16/69
1
8
~/3-7/69
5
.11
l/6-1/15_70 ~
3
Total to date -_ 36
At this pace (6 flights/month) we would have ma
of ,the 1+8 States in x+00 f1i hts. PPed. an area equal to that
g This is because we are not managing our
flights to cover maximum size blocks but to f
some block coverage in the area. Consider, forsexample,tthe difference
between Mission l06 where we flew four test sites for about 19,000 nm2
and Mission 112 where we mapped about 80~ of the State of Florida. Haya
we attempted maximum area of coverage, we could have mapped ~-32,000 nm2
or 19~ of the U.S. in this same .time.
A maximum area of block coverage is 100 nm by 120 nm or 11
This represents the best size area for ma flight lines.
to obtain 60?fo front overly b Aping with 10 nm flight centers
accepting whatever overlaps esul~~ ondthevKA50 and Hasselb adsameras and
on lens sizes flown. This would provide 12 000 ntn2 depending
1/2~ of the U.S. each fligklt. The end results can beaseenlinhthe nextut
chart.
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r ? m ~,.~ r., n -.~
~-
p ~ i]
6 ~+~ C~b'~"'Jd~il
AF`zchment to
Given:
Map the ~~8 contiguous, United State,
With: 0
2 RC-8 Wild-Iieerbrun.
C
0
Color and Color IP,
1 KA50 Chicago Aerial Wid
lce
. 0
e An
Camcra
6 Hasselblads-Multispectral S - E~W
How: ?
Block Coverage Conce t
'
A
o
2~57F
l00 nm by 120 nm Blo k Areas
(1
r
0
.2,OOO
nm
60, 000 f t . MSL
0
o
11 Flight Lines Per Block - 10 nm apart
Cl
ear Areas Only (.3 cloud coverage or 1e~s)
0
5 AF Base Staging Concept
o
o
Deployments based on season and weather
l
0
9
flights - 9 flights per month - 21 months
Product: m
1605 pictures per block area - color, color IR and
M
ultispectral and B&W
~
~
?
+
+0 RC-8, 165 KA50, 1000 Hasselblads per flight
0
?
3
5,000 pictures total
Cost: (over entire 21-month period - 2
`` 7 people on team) Note i
o l90 flights of 6 hours at $906/hr (see note 2) 25X1
m 10-C1~1 support airlifts for deployments
o Per diem for 16 Gi's and ~+ AF Officers
m Per diem for 3 NASA and ~+ Contractors
m 1710 Rolls of Film and Processing
o Airfare for NASA and Contractors (see note 3)
o Data. Tapes - 38D (2,each flight)
o Spare parts for instrument pallet
? e Contingency money
(note ~) -- Total
Note 1 -?Sa?laries not included since already accounted for.
Note 2 - The $906/hr for the aircraft includes the use of
16 airmen and ~ officers for the entire period.
This price also includes repairs on the aircrafts.
Note 3 - All Air Force Personnel wil1.travel in Cl~+l airlift,
Note ~+ - Total cost is about $l~nm2
Summary
In my opinion, most people think of aerial photography in tcrcn.; of aircraft
used five or ten years ago. Furthermore, most people never heard of the
X571'' and if they did, do not know of its capabilities. I believe we should
make all the User Agencies more aware of what we can do and for how little
in the way of manpower and expenditures. For a little more, we could fly
.the RS-7 Infrared Scanner and possib]y replace the Radiometer Spectrometer
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25X1
frith tnorc camci?as; perhaps some new high altitude ca.merac bcin
tl:c Air rorcc. lie ~ ? ' ~h Altitude Panoramic Airborne C,.uncratbcing
developed by
With regard to our present Barth Resources r
could include the requirements oi' the Pr incmpa,l1Investigator~~fob Earth
Resources sites with the overall requirement to map the U.S. Certainly,
enou;h trade offs and compromises could be made in order to satisfy most
of the requirements. We could possibly fly two or three of the nine
cameras with the same film filter combinations and vary the remaining
cameras for varied scientific reasons.
Plan the missions based on an average flight time and camera load of six
hours of which three and one-half hours is data time. This works out to
blocks of coverage 100 run by 1.20 nm which is the size of many blocks we
have already flown.
In-summary, map the United States today, tomorrow the world. (In conjunctiva
with international agreements, of course:)
25X1
Lill I
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