PROJECT CORONA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75B00514R000200050012-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 5, 2004
• Sequence Number: 12
• Publication Date: April 11, 1958
• Content Type: REPORT

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TOP SECRET
ROTE CT CORONA
COR-001?
Copy No. 6
11 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 contain-
ing 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 117L 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. Configuration: Taking advantage of arrangements already made by
the Air Force, the basic vehicle for project CORONA will be a two-stage
rocket consisting of the same second stage that is being built by Lockheed
for WS-117L with a Thor booster as the first stage (in place of the Atlas
booster which will be the first stage of the 117L vehicle). The payload will
be a pod containing a twenty-four inch focal length camera and a recoverable
capsule into which the exposed film feeds as the camera operates. Either
the whole second stage of the vehicle, or possibly only the pod containing
the payload, will be stabilised after it is in orbit and will serve as a plat-
form from which the CIIIIIIPTS continuously looks downward to the earth
and takes pictures by scanning at right angles to the path. This configura-
tion is expected to yield a r?slelution of about twenty feet on the ground
which should be sufficient to permit structures to be distinguished from
one uother and to allow the detection and identification of such major
reconnaissance targets as missile sites under construction, previously
unobserved communities, or other major installations in the areas hitherto
inaccessible to reconnaissance such as the Soviet far north.
3. Program: It is proposed, that twelve to fifteen vehicles in the
above configuration be produced. Although it has not yet been possible to
establish a firm schedule of delivery dates, it appears likely that the first
firing can be in June of 1959. It is tentatively planned to schedule firings
at the rate of one a month for four to six months beginning in June 1959 and
to achieve a rate of two a month as soon as possible. On this basis,
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fifteen fir
only about
without mal
uld be completed before June 1960. It is estimated that
ercent of these will be successfully orbited, operate
ctiort and be recovered.
4. Modificatio of Earlier Plans: The configuration briefly described
above differs from that contemplated in the program originally launched by
the Air Force. The earlier plan called for spin stabilizatio. of the pod
containing the payload, a six inch focal length camera with/image motion
compeneation, and a very short exposure time. Such a configuration could
be available at least six months sooner and would involve somewhat less
technological risk (because of its reliance on a proven method of stabilisation)
than the one presently proposed. On the other hand, the configuration
originally proposed would have required the use of fast film which yields
grainy photography and would have yielded a resolution of only sixty feet
on the ground. To carry through the development of the original configura-
tion and at the same time to undertake the development of the modified
configuration in parallel would have obvious advantages but would add four
or five million dollars to the total cost of the program and would complicate
the problem of maintaining cover. On balance, it is believed, (a) that the
more sophisticated modified configurationcOould be developed with top
priority and (b) that the six month earlier availability date of the original
configuration does not justify its cost in terms of funds and effort.
5. 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 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 ARIA. The Ballistic Missile Division has also assumed the responsi-
bility 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 Camp Cook by technical staffs of the companies that
are building this reconnaissance system. Tracking will be carried out
from stations being established by the Ballistic Missile Division. Recovery
will be accomplished by a Navy task force. The line a command for these
field activities of launching, tracking and recovery will be through the
Ballistic Missile Division. Subject to approval by the appropriate political
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authorities, the general schedule of launchings will be determined by
the availability of vehicles and launching facilities. Specific timing within
this schedule will be determined so far as poseible on the basis of weather
prevailing over target areas. For both cover and control purposes,
weather will be reported through an already existing CIA channel and
specific firing dates will be selected by the Central Intelligence Agency.
6, Cavsr 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-117L development.
The cover and security arrangements already made or contemplated are as
follow.:
a. Subsequent to the ostensible cancellation, extra:D*1y Limited
numbers of individuals in the participating companies were cleared
for and advised of procedures to be employed in CORONA. Compart-
mentation 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 reconnaissance 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 stymy
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 conduct experimental space flights with laboratory animals. 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 a number of
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
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firing and it is believed knowledge of this substitution can be
Limited to a few witting individuals in the launching crews. A*
a supplementary cover story it may be possible to explain some
of the firings as events in a program of nose cone re-entry tests.
c. Greet 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 this can be accomplished. It would be highly
desirable, however, not only to provide an innecent explanation
of the quite unconcealable firing and recovery activities but also
to conceal the fact that the vehicle ever enters into orbit, since
the suspicion will inevitably arise that any orbiting vehicle, however
described, is in fact being used for reconnaissance. With this
objective in view, the possibility of describing the vehicle as a
miesile rather than as a short lived satellite is being studied. If
this appears feasible the cover stories will be appropriately
mgidified.
d. The strictest security control is being maintained ever all
aspects of COitONA. Al! communications which reflect the exietence
of this project are handled within Top Secret procedures. A list of
all individuals who ars 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 organisation
concerned with the project.
7. Procurement: Of the total procurement required for Pi:MONA,
as large a proportion as possible will be handled relatively overtly as a part
of the WS-II7L 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 las noted above) is
being developed for WS-I17L will simply be allocated from the production
schedules already in effect for these items and will be procured by the Air
Force. Only the pods containing reC0121tatial sauce equipment and the recoverable
film cassettes will be procured covertly by the Central Intelligence Agency,
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Production of only the covert items will be cosnpartxnented in the several
companies. The responsibility for final assembly will rest with Lockheed
and arrangements are being made which wiU 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.
8. Financing: The total cost of the program herein outlined, assum.ing that it will be ttzriited to 12 vehicles, is estimated at approximatelyjI
idollars,
a. Of this amount, covert p
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ement of the payload would
dollars as follows:
rs
Recoverable Capsules
Cameras
Payload Pod and assembly Cost.
TOTAL
are
It is proposed that these costs would be financed by the Central Intell
gence Agency, subject to obtaining the funds from the Agency's
Reserve.
b. The largest part of the dollar total represents
the cost of the Thor boosters and the Lockheed second stage vehicles.
A rather arbitrary allowance of dollars per completed
vehicle has been included for these items which therefore account for
dollars of the total. Since thee* will be procured by the
Air Force ostensibly for use in a biomedical program or nose cone
re-entry program, it is proposed that these items be financed by the
Air Force or ARPA consistently with the financing of the programs
being used for cover.
C. In addition to the foregoing cost for development and procure-
t of hardward, there will be significant operational costs. No
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precise estimate of these is yet available and an.
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rolles has been included in the above total
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d. No allowance has been made for the cost of facilities,
including especially two new launching pads at Camp Cook and
certain tracking facilities in the Pacific, which are being built
so as to be available to support this program. The reason for
this omission is that these facilities would soon be required in
any *vent for military programs and the effect of CORONA has
merely been to advance the timing of their construction. Any
Increment of cost to be incurred will be small.
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