CORONA J-3 PAYLOAD SYSTEM ENGINEERING EVALUATIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85B00803R000100080048-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 14, 2004
• Sequence Number: 48
• Publication Date: April 11, 1967
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For ele'~as
NRO review(s) completed.
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11 April 1967
Dr. A. Flax
i OM: J. J. Crowley
SUB, :CT: COi:,ONA J-3 PAYLOAD SYSTEM i:NGINELR1:NG EVALUATIONS
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A series of Payload System Engineering Evaluat ions are being programmed
by my ;tart i for the first four J-3 COB.O A ', issions. These payloads have been
instrturenr.,zd for R & D purposes, and test (*.ata are being recorded via special
T/ link, on film and on a recoverable tape recorder. Engineering materials
gathered from these evaluations will be anr:elyzed by the government and contractor
a:a3 appropriate. A briefing on the evaluations was provided in my office
25X1 t:. ?.. Carter of your staff on 5 April. Although
plan has been established and this memo is provided to furnish ycu
star':; with a ready reference for the J-3 Payload Capability Evaluation'
operations and analysis plans have not been completed, the basic
A. Systems U-2, CR-3, and'CR-4 will. be equipped with nod to scan
ei;.code~rs for in-flight verification of the nod to scan calibration.
:god to scan calibration is a part of the pan geometry calibration
of t,z,o J-3 system. The data from the nod shaft encoder is being
recorded on the flight film throu;;ii use of a xenon flash tube and
fiber optics. The in-flight cali'Dr"ation will be compared with the
pre:--:Night nod shaft calibration furnished in our calibration
report. It is anticipated that t;-.c validity of the pre-flight
nc6 to scan calibration can be established through these three
fli_~,'c.ts, and that in-flight calibration will not be necessary on
payload systems CR-5 and subsequent.
B. Payload vibration data are being recorded on flights CR-1 through
CE-4 for purposes of verifying qu:li.fication levels and error
budget analyses. The vibration data will be transmitted over
a special Agena T/M link which ha.; been m.dde available on these
flights. Ascent vibration data i;: being recorded on payloads
C:i.-1 and CR-2 in order that we r verify the CORONA Program
environmental qualification criteria. for the J-3 payloads.
On.-orbit vibration data will be recorded on paylcn ds CR-3 and
Ali-4 to provide data for use in the 'analysis of the camera
system error budget. Elimination of camera vibration was one
of the major goals of the J-3 desrign at Itek.
C. System time, special payload temperature measurements, slit
and filter position recordings, vehicle gas ,het monitors, and
instrument status monitors are being recorded during instrument
"operates" by means of an SRN tape recorder. The time words
for both forward and aft cameras will be provided to NPIC in
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advance of film arrival. This provides for these first
four systems an independent time correlation source, and
will prevent any possible delay;; which could arise
because of the technical interface problems in the intro-
duction of the new silicon light pulser data block and
data block reader. A requirement for advance delivery
of time and attitude data has been expressed by NPIC
I I and this CORONA Engineering,
Evaluation will allow us to test a technique which has
potential in meeting the NPIC requirement. The temper-
ature data and vehicle gas jet mon.:i_tors will provide
inputs both for the PG analysis and the camera perfor-
mance evaluations. The slit and filter recordings and
instrument status monitors are primarily intended as
systems engineering diagnostic analysis tools. The SRV
tapes will be formatted at AP following recovery and
will be made available to the appropriate analysis groups.
D. A post flight engineering evaluation on redesigned SRV
subsystems will be conducted on CR-1 and CR-2. Capsules
from these flights will be returned directly to AP for
defilming in order to facilitate the life sensitive test-
ing. Special reset boxes and instructions for the VJ
series SRV's will be provided to the recovery forces.
E. Instrument performance evaluations will be conducted on
the CR-1 through CR-4 flights using both Brainstorm
targets and Corn targets as analysis references. Evalu-
ations will be made at the camera contractors and at
Eastman Kodak. The latter will be tasked to do work in
edge-gradient analysis as a part of our evaluation of
this technique for its application to future systems.
We hope, with the CORONA tests, to verify J-3 system
error budgets, to compare J-1 and J-3 results, and to
establish a baseline for work with future systems.
The phase-in of the improved Petzval lens with CR-4
will allow flight verification of its predicted per-
formance improvement.
F. -The system exposure control device will be tested as
a part of the CR-1 through CR-4 engineering evaluations,
but will be programmed pr .rria.rily in the latter stages
of the mission. The material/filter tests are being
varied on each flight in order that the full capabil-
ities can be examined and analyzed by the end of the
CR-4 Mission.
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PAYLOAD CAMERA FILM TYPE FILTER
(Launch Date) 0ootage) Primary Alternate
(1) CR-1 FWD looking 3404 (16,000), W/23A W/25
(August 67)
AFT looking 3401+ (16,000) W/21 W/23A
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The CR-1 flight will be used primarily to demonstrate the basic
ca,-,ability and performance of the J-3 payload and the reliability
and operational control of the J-3 exposure control device. As
programmed in CR-1 the exposure control device will provide data
not heretofore available on the operational effects of filtration
on target contrast and imagery information content. The filter
optimization study will be continued on CR-3 and CR-14 flight with
the goal to optimize our filter selection on a scientific and
emperical basis, and to provide to the Satellite Operations Center
flexibility in using filtration as a function of solar angle and
weather predictions.
?I."LOAD CAMERA FILM TYPE FILTER
(Launch Date (Footage)
(2) CR-2 FWD looking 3404 (14,000)
(October 67)
AFT looking 3401+ (15,300)
S0340 ( 400)
W/23A
W/21
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PAY.i_,OAD
Launch Date)
FILM TYPE FILTER
rootage) Primary Alternate
(3) CR-3 FWD looking 34021 (15,000) W/25 (Glass) Polarizer
(February 68)
S0380( 1,500) w/25 (Glass)
AFT looking .3404 (15,000) W/21 Polarizer
30380 ( 1,500) w/21
S0380 is 3404 emulsion on ultra thin base (UTB). One of the design
goals of the J-3 Program was to develop a system capable of handling
UTB. Incorporation of UTB will provide a 50% increase in available
film footage, and as such should be accomplished as soon as possible
consistent with program reliability. By the flight of CR-3, we
believe will have sufficient ground test data to warrant a flight
test with UTB. In addition to the UTB flight test, CR-3 will be
used to examine the effects of the use of olarizers on satellite
,-photo rah .
Test resu Ei
on the EKIT Program EKIT Test 10) have indicated no discernable
loss in resolution through use of polarizers. The forward and aft
camera polarizers will be tested both independently and together.
'AYT,OAD
CAMERA
x =~:LM TYPE
FILTER
Launch Date)
(Footage)
Pr_i.m~.r Alternate
(4) CR-4
FWD looking
3404
(14,500)
W/25
(May 68)
SG X30
(1, 500)
W/25
W44+2E(Gla6s)
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SG230 (1,000) W/21
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2. The final test and analysis plan for each of the four CR flight systems
will be distributed at R-9 day when the system is released for flight preparations.
This detailed test and analysis plan will delineate responsibilities for analysis
and provide direction for distribution of test material.
/S/
The evaluation programmed for. CR-4 involves use of a new
;,:ach(,:: speed, high resolution black and white film which
i )i ing marketed by rastman Koda : (")0230). if the
resolution of this film approache., that of 3404, the
operational photography of both the J-1 and J-3 systems can
he -improved through its use. Laboratory testing of S0230
at. both Eastman Kodak "and Itek, and flight testiz4; of
SO230 using the Idealist Delta III camera will precede the
Ci:-%-~ flight. The forward looking camera filter device on
CR-L will be programmed for an ev:.:.luation of additive bi-
color photography, i.e., the reproduction of color
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