The top concealed URSALA, RAQUEL, and FARRAH satellites

Twenty HEXAGON satellites were launched from California between 1971 and 1986, alongside one failure. HEXAGON was a big photo-reconnaissance satellite, but frequently carried Program 989 subsatellites that were deployed in orbit. (credit: Peter Hunter)

by Dwayne A. Day
Monday, March 10, 2025

In 1963, the Air Force launched the archetypal “hitchhiker” off the flank of a larger satellite. This began a secretive program that lasted additional than 40 years under a assortment of names and designations. The satellites, concerning the size of a ample suitcase, were festooned alongside antennas and spun quickly as they orbited the Earth, sweeping their antennas complete the dirt and gathering radar and another signals, so-called digital intelligence, or ELINT. They normally recorded the signals for afterward transfer to the ground, but occasionally immediately re-transmitted them to a dirt station.

Satellites alongside names akin URSALA, RAQUEL, FARRAH, GLORIA, and CARRIE have lone lately been declassified, alongside important data concerning them released lone in the former two months, including the disclosure of earlier concealed area shuttle payloads.

For the archetypal decade, the assorted satellites under this program chased any new ELINT targets appeared and were of involvement to the intellect community. The satellites were designed to be cheap and uncomplicated adequate to be developed in a twelvemonth or small in reply to new threats. Their payloads were frequently bespoke designs, built lone formerly or twice before they were replaced by item else.

But by the 1970s, the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), which managed the program, began to standardize the satellites and provision them an operational goal supporting armed forces forces about the world. Satellites alongside names akin URSALA, RAQUEL, FARRAH, GLORIA, and CARRIE have lone lately been declassified, alongside important data concerning them released lone in the former two months, including the disclosure of earlier concealed area shuttle payloads. These satellites represented a profound alter in the gathering of intellect data from orbit, a alter from serving comparatively exclusive “national” guidance to supporting tactical forces of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. They brought the wizard war of space-based digital intellect to the warfighter.

During the 1970s and 1980s, subsatellites were deployed off the sides of ample HEXAGON photo-reconnaissance satellites. (credit: NRO)

Program 989 and Mission 7300

The archetypal of the small satellites were colloquially called “hitchhikers,” but Lockheed Missiles and Space Company, which built them, referred to them as Program 11, or P-11 satellites, and this heading seems to have been used by officials throughout the 1960s and 1970s as generic shorthand for the small satellites, equal whenever they had authoritative program designations and particular names. In 1965/66, the P-11 program was redesignated P-770B, afterward Program 989.[1] However, as small idiosyncratic satellites were procured complete the years, it appears from accessible records that officials frequently referred to the idiosyncratic satellites fairly than the program they were part of. The Program 989 satellites continued flying equal following a larger sequence of signals intellect (SIGINT) satellites known as Program 770 ended alongside the final initiate in 1972.[2]

By the 1970s, the intellect community began using the TALENT-KEYHOLE heading “Mission 7300” to mention to the gathering of radar signals and their geolocation data by these low Earth orbit satellites. Mission 7100 referred to the sea surveillance goal performed by the PARCAE satellites. Mission 7200 referred to payloads hosted on another satellites, specified as the AFTRACK digital intellect systems carried on many CORONA satellites in the 1960s.[3] By the 1980s there was expanding conversation inside the intellect community of merging the two Missions 7100 and 7300 by evolving new satellites incorporating the two of their capabilities.

During the 1960s, the satellites frequently lasted lone a few months in orbit. Their lifetimes were frequently constricted by their low orbits. Satellites alongside ample antennas, specified as ample low-frequency spiral antennas or ample flex-rib dish antennas, were dragged downward by the lean ambiance at their altitudes. It was representative for satellites to final one to four years before they burned up in the atmosphere, although MABELI was motionless functioning whenever it burned up following seven years and TOP HAT II was motionless functioning whenever it burned up at six years.[4] The Secretary of the Air Force Special Projects office, located in Los Angeles, was the NRO’s West Coast institution liable for managing Mission 7300, among another projects. Usually lone referred to as SAFSP and mostly staffed by Air Force officers, SAFSP sought to addition the lifetimes and capabilities of the satellites so that small were required to execute the missions. Improved electronics made this possible.[5]

Throughout the 1960s the satellites had names akin PUNDIT, SAVANT, SOUSEA, and SAMPAN that were obscure references to group operating in the intellect field, or sometimes equal inner jokes or puns. The program managers (all men) were told that they needed to evade imaginable hints concerning the satellites’ missions, and so they decided to name them following movie actresses.[6]

Because the P-11s were carried into orbit alongside other, bigger, photo-reconnaissance satellites, the satellites were inevitably compromises. They were constricted in size, mass, power, capability, and cost. Nevertheless, they were designed to group as much capability into a small size as possible. They were notable for sporting multiple dishes about their periphery, most of which were spring-loaded to deploy using outward force.

Radars create mainbeams and weaker sidelobes. The Program 989 satellites normally had the capability to detect both, and in several cases they could decide fine-grain data concerning the signals, enabling the betterment of jamming and spoofing capabilities. (credit: NRO)

Radars create chief beams that radiate onward of the emitter, and flank lobes that dispersed out to the emitter’s sides. The chief beam is evidently the most mighty part of the emission, but it is focused in a particular direction and can lone be intercepted if a collector specified as a moon antenna travels through the emanation cone. The flank lobes dispersed out complete a much larger area but are fainter. A moon alongside parabolic dishes can collect the fainter flank lobes, whereas chief beams can be collected in low Earth orbit without ample dish antennas if the moon travels through them. Thus, equal although the Program 989/Mission 7300 satellites were not particularly large, their dish antennas provided a capability for intercepting faint, and additional prolific, radar flank lobes.

By the delayed 1960s and first 1970s, the NRO was additionally launching multiple new classes of larger signals intellect satellites to much higher orbits, including geosynchronous orbits. Those satellites were designed to collect Soviet microwave communications, missile and missile telemetry, and another signals. But they were chiefly restricted to northern hemisphere targets, for the satellites in extremely elliptical orbits, and to east hemisphere targets if they were located in geosynchronous orbit complete the east hemisphere. In another words, a signals intellect moon located in the east hemisphere to detect communications from Moscow could not additionally shield targets complete Central America. Program 989 low Earth orbiting satellites were motionless necessary for intercepting radar signals in ample part since the satellites were nearer to their targets and covered the complete globe from their polar orbits. The low Earth orbiting satellites additionally could assist new users, not fair the Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency and the “national” flat customers of their intellect akin the White House and elder armed forces leadership.

Four URSALA satellites were launched during the 1970s. The capability of URSALA to provision data to mobile electronics vans deployed in the site made these satellites precious for tactical users. Tactical Exploitation of National CAPabilities (TENCAP) became an crucial intellect mission. (credit: NRO)

URSALA and the dawn of TENCAP

The Vietnam War played an crucial part in causing a redirection in the low Earth orbit signals intellect program. In the mid to delayed 1960s, the NRO had launched additional than a dozen P-11 satellites designed to obstruct anti-ballistic missile (ABM) radar signals. But by 1969, hundreds of American airplane had been attempt downward by missiles complete Vietnam, and for multiple years overhead imagery had detected a Soviet radar scheme deployed in the field, but no digital intercepts had been made (the character of this radar is motionless deleted from declassified documents.) In addition, the existing satellites lacked the capability to hunt for Ku-band emitters in the 12-to-18-gigahertz range. Finally, radar experts expected the Soviet Union to commencement deploying “double-agile radars” that could simultaneously frequence hop from pulse-to-pulse and jitter in beat repeat duration (the period between pulses) from pulse-to-pulse. A new capability would be required to detect these emerging radar threats.[7]

The deficiency of particular cognition concerning these emerging high-threat signals produced a set of requirements that could not be satisfied by a sole scheme using the innovation accessible at the period but led to the innovation of two new moon systems: URSALA and RAQUEL.

“Back in the first 1970’s the new goal was to get data immediately to the commandant on the FEBA (Forward Edge of the Battle Area). I had a payload alongside possibilities if it could be ‘trailerized.’ We decided to go for it but needed a catchy name, so we used DRACULA…Direct Readout and Collection ULA (‘ULA’ was the three-letter shorthand for the URSALA payload).”

URSALA was designed to collect signals from double-agile radars in bands from 2 to 12 gigahertz. It searched radar flank lobes, not their chief beams. It was considered a “general search” system. RAQUEL was designed not to hunt from horizon-to-horizon, but to maximize the obstruct period on comparatively abbreviated slant range targets by using a spinning pencil beam (i.e. the narrow beam in which a indication could be detected by the satellite.)[8]: “Since the frequence of the signals was not known, it was necessary to create a gathering scheme capable of searching a broad frequence range. A method of associating the signals certainly alongside the [radar] was additionally required, as was a capability to measure specialized parameters precisely.” The RAQUEL satellites required additional period to create than URSALA because of their risen complexity.[9]

Four URSALA satellites were deployed from HEXAGON photo-reconnaissance satellites during the 1970s. They were placed into about 509-kilometer (275-nautical-mile) circular orbits. They were designed to detect pulsed emitters chiefly inside the Soviet Union. URSALA represented a alter in scheme doctrine for the NRO: fairly than the tradition method that was used for many of the dozens of satellites produced during the 1960s, SAFSP sought to standardize the satellites and their payloads. URSALA satellites additionally had several capability to detect and geolocate ships at sea, although this was not a chief mission.

URSALA I and II were launched in 1972 and 1973 and designed for broad hunt and digital command of battle for pulsed and uninterrupted motion emitters alongside a frequence range of 2 to 12 gigahertz. They weighed 178 kilograms (393 pounds) and had nine-month scheme lifetimes. URSALA I ultimately lasted 70 months, and URSALA II lasted 61 months.[10]

Although URSALA (and afterward RAQUEL) was intended to detect signals from surface-to-air missile radars that were deployed tactically, at smallest at archetypal the satellites were serving national intellect requirements, definition that their data was evaluated in places akin the National Security Agency, and afterward eventually used to improved defend tactical aircraft. Tactical forces would indirectly advantage from the intelligence, but they would not obtain it.

However, the 1973 war in the Middle East prompted the use of the satellites for “operational support,” and the achievement of the URSALA I and II satellites in this function stimulated the betterment of techniques for additional fast data processing, the two on the satellites and on mobile dirt terminals.[11] This was apparently the commencement of a new goal for these small satellites, the development from their use chiefly in assistance of strategic intellect gathering to providing data that could be immediately used by armed forces forces deployed about the world—electronic intellect command of battle (EOB), or an sign of the types and locations of enemy deployed digital emitters. For instance, detecting Soviet SA-6 mobile exterior to air missile radars in a new location provided an sign that the missiles were apt protecting a moving armor column, or a high-value mark akin a site headquarters.

By the mid-1970s, Army and Air Force tactical users were becoming curious in immediately accessing the digital intellect data collected by the low Earth orbiting satellites, bypassing the NSA. They funded a program called RTIP which in 1977 consisted of two vans—a mobile antenna van and a handling van—that demonstrated the feasibility of straightforward downlink and on-board handling procedure using data from the URSALA III satellite.[12] This was the commencement of what became known as Tactical Exploitation of National CAPabilities, or TENCAP. As additional customers began using the data produced by the satellites, they exerted a drag on NRO requirements (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 office, alongside alongside the US Army, developed the Interim Tactical ELINT Processor (ITEP) vans, which were archetypal deployed in 1979. A follow-on van, known as the Tactical ELINT Processor, was planned to activity alongside the FARRAH spacecraft. However, ITEP proved suitable to activity alongside URSALA, RAQUEL, and FARRAH. The Air Force afterward dropped the “I” from ITEP, referring to it as TEP. The Army renamed its vans as the Electronic Processing and Dissemination System (EPDS), and by 1990 they were extensively deployed throughout the world.[13]

According to one individual who worked on the satellites during this time, “Back in the first 1970’s the new goal was to get data immediately to the commandant on the FEBA (Forward Edge of the Battle Area). I had a payload alongside possibilities if it could be ‘trailerized.’ We decided to go for it but needed a catchy name, so we used DRACULA…Direct Readout and Collection ULA (‘ULA’ was the three-letter shorthand for the URSALA payload).” The Air Force authoritative put together a briefing for NRO agency in the Pentagon. “General Bradburn liked the briefing but trashed the name, saying that he could already comprehend the greeted by the East Coast: Oh, no, not another lifeblood sucking program from out west!”[14]

Before the initiate of URSALA III in 1976, the NRO had decided to let the program die alongside the end of URSALA IV. However, data users objected and there was force to continue or reinstate the program. “In command to do this backing from the two the tactical EOB users and the specialized intellect users was needed to shield the expenses of a replacement vehicle,” an authoritative former noted.[15] Although particulars are motionless limited, apparently this meant that the Army, Navy, and Air Force were required to pay for part of the moon program. If so, this would have additionally stated the assistance branches a greater say in the institution of requirements.

URSALA III and IV, launched in 1976 and 1979, were additionally designed for broad hunt and digital command of battle finding missions and had the identical frequence range of 2 to 12 gigahertz as their predecessors.[16] But they weighed substantially more, at 259 kilograms (570 pounds), and were designed alongside 18-month lifetimes. URSALA IV was armed alongside 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 moon was launched in 1978 and during the 1982 Falklands War it was used to collect signals from Argentine deployed forces that were likely provided to the UK military. The moon may have played a function in locating the ray cruiser ARA General Belgrano, which was sunk by a Royal Navy submarine. (credit: NRO)

RAQUEL 1 and 1A

RAQUEL was akin to URSALA in design, although intended to hunt distinct frequence bands. Whereas URSALA was a “general search” satellite, RAQUEL was described as a “directed hunt and specialized intelligence” satellite. The chief goal of RAQUEL was to “search for, locate, and acknowledge new or different signals and to collect emitter mainbeam specialized intellect data on signals in the 4-18 GHz frequence range in accordance alongside the National SIGINT Requirements List (NSRL). Additional goal requirements contain the gathering and reporting of operational ELINT data.”[19] The moon additionally had a specialized intellect receiver that was capable of record fine data concerning the signals it detected. RAQUEL 1 was launched off a HEXAGON moon in October 1974, and RAQUEL 1A was launched from a HEXAGON in March 1978. RAQUEL 1A disbursal $13.6 myriad in 1976, an sign of the approximate disbursal of the satellites of this type.[20] Initially there had been plans to create a RAQUEL II, but the disbursal was deemed excessive.

RAQUEL 1 weighed 256 kilograms (565 pounds) and was described as the “first of new obstacle of risen capability, elevated reliability spacecraft.” It had a scheme existence of 18 months, but eventually lasted 63 months, until first 1980.[21,22]

RAQUEL 1A was declared operational by mid-May 1978, and “time crucial reporting procedures for North Korea, the Middle East, and the Ethiopia-Somalia border were implemented.”[23] It afterward intercepted and geolocated uplinks from Afghanistan that apparently indicated Soviet plans to invade the country. Shortly following the Soviets began sending airplane and materials into Afghanistan in 1979, the moon detected a key Soviet communications moon uplink.

More inner quantity became accessible inner the essential subsatellite shape, and designers took advantage of this by packing in equal additional electronics. One authoritative who worked on the program calculated that the moon was now the density of firm mahogany.

During the 1982 Falklands War, the moon was reoriented to provision safety of extreme southernmost latitudes. This was imaginable during maintaining much of the customary northern hemisphere coverage. The outlook maneuver was performed during April 24–27, 1982, resulting in two to four passes a day of daytime coverage, providing high-quality collection.[24] Details on the satellite’s value during the Falklands War are unavailable, but apparent targets of involvement would have been Argentine air defence radars deployed to the islands, as fine as the locations of any Argentine naval vessels. Notably, the Argentine ray cruiser ARA General Belgrano was sunk on May 1 by a Royal Navy nuclear submarine, multiple days following RAQUEL 1A began monitoring the conflict.[25]

The satellites had projected lifetimes of about three years but lasted complete four times as long. RAQUEL 1A was put into custodian position in March 1987, but was taken in and out of custodian position multiple times following that, including an extended duration from August to October 1987 to detect a still-classified target. In September 1990, operators prepared to obtain the moon out of custodian position again to assistance Desert Shield/Storm, but this proved unnecessary. RAQUEL 1A re-entered the ambiance in February 1992, following 14 years in orbit.

The archetypal two FARRAH satellites were box-like and deployed from HEXAGON satellites. FARRAH III, IV, and V were larger and initially intended for initiate from the area shuttle. They were afterward switched to Titan II rockets. From their low Earth orbit, they could detect radar signals and provision intellect to tactical forces. (credit: NRO)

FARRAHs I and II

By 1976, following reversing the decision to end the low Earth orbit signals intellect program, the NRO decided to recombine the hunt and digital command of battle functions (with geolocation) that had been divided into the URSALA satellites and the specialized intellect functions that had been put into the RAQUEL satellites. This sole conveyance was initially called “SAT 1.” The SAT 1 study was conducted by Lockheed and blended the functions alongside alongside expanded frequence safety from 2 to 18 gigahertz. The idea was funded in 1977 and building started in 1978. The moon was renamed FARRAH.[27]

Changes to the bus-sized HEXAGON photo-reconnaissance moon enabled equal heavier subsatellite payloads to be mounted to their sides.[28] In addition, decrease in electronics size meant that additional inner quantity became accessible inner the essential subsatellite shape, and designers took advantage of this by packing in equal additional electronics. One authoritative who worked on the program calculated that the moon was now the density of firm mahogany.

The satellites were armed alongside a CDC 469 on-board broad intent digital computer. The device was used for genuine period “deinterleaving and readout immediately to distant tactical assistance vans.” This device was small, lightweight, and energy productive for its time.[29,30]

FARRAH I and II, launched in 1982 and 1984, respectively, were nearly identical spacecraft whose goal was “to get data to fulfill General Search, Operational Elint, and Technical Intelligence requirements on signals in the 2-18 GHz frequence range.” The broad hunt requirements included elevated precedence Soviet, Chinese, and another directed mark areas. They additionally included known involvement high-priority targets and strategic and tactical targets connected alongside arm systems undergoing development. Operational intellect was collected for the purposes of indications and warning, and Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty monitoring and power positioning. The FARRAH satellites additional developed the capability to provision data to small tactical dirt stations for US Army and Air Force units.[31]

The FARRAH satellites were located in orbits of about 709 kilometers (383 nautical miles) altitude disposed 96 degrees to the Equator. Each weighed about 340 kilograms (750 pounds) and they were designed alongside 36-month lifetimes, but ended up exceeding this by a significant amount.[32,33] In first 1991 the two satellites misplaced their final strip recorders, which constricted them to transpond gathering only, definition that they could lone dispatch signals whenever they were the two in row of perspective alongside an emitter and a dirt station. Despite having degraded substantially during the 1980s, the two FARRAH I and II operated until the first 2000s, whenever they were close downward following two decades of service. FARRAH I ceased operations on November 3, 2004, 22 years following launch. FARRAH II was close downward on October 6, 2004, 20 years following launch. Both satellites were placed in a “non-recoverable state” and were projected to remain in orbit in excess of 50 years.

During the 1970s, the P-11-type satellites that had started out as comparatively small and cheap a decade before had steadily grown in mass, cost, and capability. They had additionally evolved from mostly strategic intellect gathering systems to suppliers of operationally helpful intellect data to tactical units throughout the world. This had engaged not lone improvements to the satellites, but additionally new dirt systems and new ways of sharing data. That additionally meant that new users, particularly the United States Army, emerged and began recommending the types of data that was most helpful to them. TENCAP started alongside humble method but continued to grow.

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

The shuttle era: the FARRAH “tuna cans”

In 1980, the National Reconnaissance Office resolute which of its moon programs would passage to use the Space Shuttle and which would continue to use existing expendable initiate vehicles.[36] The GAMBIT and HEXAGON photo-reconnaissance moon programs were the two scheduled to quit during the 1980s and thus would not be modified to fly on the shuttle. Because the smaller Program 989 satellites akin URSALA, RAQUEL, and FARRAH had launched off the flank of HEXAGON satellites, they would need a new way to attain orbit following the end of the HEXAGON program.

More inner quantity became accessible inner the essential subsatellite shape, and designers took advantage of this by packing in equal additional electronics. One authoritative who worked on the program calculated that the moon was now the density of firm mahogany.

As a outcome of this decision, the NRO performed an “ELINT Mix Study” and connected studies to analyze issues connected to the passage of low altitude SIGINT programs to the shuttle. One possible was combining existing low-altitude programs, or to substitute selected low-altitude capabilities alongside an upgraded high-altitude moon (as had been done alongside the ample Program 770 STRAWMAN satellites in the first 1970s). The NRO resolute that existing systems have to be upgraded but not combined. The upgraded satellites would additionally be launched alongside alongside Improved PARCAE sea surveillance satellites on the shuttle.[37]

NRO officials decided not lone that forthcoming FARRAH satellites could be launched by the shuttle, but that they could be substantially enlarged to obtain advantage of the shuttle’s greater lift capabilities. At smallest three of the new satellites would be procured: FARRAH III, IV, and V. They would be larger and heavier than their predecessors alongside the identical name, armed alongside additional antennas and receivers. The new satellites would measure additional than 1,360 kilograms (3,000 pounds), compared to 340 kilograms for FARRAHs I and II.[38]

According to an authoritative former updated in 1991, the toggle from expendable rockets to the shuttle and afterward rear again for the two the FARRAH and PARCAE programs “proved extremely costly” for the two programs.

The NRO has now released illustrations of the FARRAH III satellite, indicating that it was a large, squat cylinder, mostly referred to as a “tuna can,” and armed alongside three dish antennas and multiple another rod antennas akin its much smaller predecessor. FARRAH III had a tactical on-board processor and could straightforward downlink its data to users. One creator example showed this data being transmitted to fixed dirt stations, ground-based mobile vans, and an airplane carrier. FARRAH could hence dispatch data immediately to several ships. In contrast, at the time, data was apparently not immediately downlinked from the PARCAE ocean-surveillance satellites to ships but was archetypal relayed through fixed dirt stations for handling and afterward through geosynchronous communications satellites to ships at sea, as fine as through a dedicated communications moon network in extremely elliptical orbits.

The satellites spun at 50 rpm and had three high-gain parabolic antennas that covered 0.8 to 6, 6 to 12, and 12 to 18 gigahertz. The second used “cooled front-end electronics” to obtain the higher frequencies. They were additionally armed alongside sole and double-boom omni antennas to suppress sidelobe interceptions.[39] FARRAH V had additional capabilities that remain classified.[40] FARRAH III was apparently designed alongside a three-year nominal lifetime.[41]

In the mid-1980s, multiple of the FARRAH signals intellect satellites intended for shuttle initiate were switched to use converted Titan II ICBMs. Three were launched starting in 1988, although FARRAH IV unsuccessful in orbit. (credit: Peter Hunter)

Although the scheme had been to initiate at smallest the archetypal three of these larger FARRAH satellites on the shuttle, the NRO authoritative in accusation of the FARRAH program realized that this would necessitate important upgrades to the shuttle that power not be funded in time, if at all, and he chose to eliminate the satellites from the shuttle and initiate them on converted Titan II ICBMs instead. Eventually, the PARCAE program additionally switched from the shuttle to the costly Titan IV rocket. According to an authoritative former updated in 1991, the toggle from expendable rockets to the shuttle and afterward rear again for the two the FARRAH and PARCAE programs “proved extremely costly” for the two programs.[42]

FARRAH III was launched in September 1988. FARRAH IV was launched in September 1989 but unsuccessful shortly following reaching orbit.[43] FARRAH V was launched in September 1992. No particulars have been released concerning whenever FARRAH III and V ceased operating, but in 2021 they were observed motionless spinning in orbit, and they could perchance motionless be operational. In 1993, three additional Titan II rockets that had been assigned to “classified payloads” were made accessible for another programs. It is apt that these three were initially allocated to FARRAHs VI-VIII, but a program reorientation caused their cancellation.[44]

Although designed alongside a three-year nominal lifetime, FARRAH III was apparently motionless living nine years later.[45] Considering that its smaller predecessors lasted two decades, FARRAHs III and V could have equal been operational into the 2010s. Recently, the Space Force celebrated the 30th commemoration of operations of the archetypal Milstar communications satellite, and Defense Support Program missile alert satellites remain operational following two decades in orbit, indicating that lengthy lifetimes in orbit are not different for armed forces satellites.

The FARRAH satellites could provision intellect data to tactical forces, ships, and equal aircraft. Data could be recorded for afterward transmission, or immediately transponded to a dirt position as shortly as it was received. Fixed dirt stations could additionally re-transmit data. (credit: NRO)

The data from the FARRAH satellites could be sent downward in multiple distinct ways. Data from the Tactical Onboard Processor could be transmitted by straightforward downlink to receivers, either fixed or mobile, including ships at sea. The signals intercepted by the satellites could be either recorded for afterward playback, or “transponded,” definition that the data was sent as shortly as it was collected. Data sent to a fixed dirt position could afterward be relayed through a armed forces comsat to another dirt position or another users.[46]

An NRO document explained that the distant functioning locations “are NRO resources strategically located near elevated involvement areas, providing greater, near realtime safety without putting strip recorder cycles on the satellites. This adjacent site of perspective between mark area and obtain location reduces the figure of strip recorder cycles on the vehicles during preserving the intellect value. The mechanical strip recorders are the life-limiting aspect on our store-and-forward goal capabilities.” There were three distant functioning locations for the satellites, although their locations are motionless classified.[47] The Mission 7300 data was additionally “fused” alongside another data, most apt from the PARCAE sea surveillance satellites.

The LORRI 2 payload was attached to the final HEXAGON photo-reconnaissance moon and was designed to hunt a little-used part of the frequence spectrum to decide if it was being used by abroad armed forces powers. The payload was destroyed whenever the Titan missile carrying it blew up shortly following launch. (credit: NRO)

LORRI I and II

In supplement to the FARRAH satellites that served broad digital intellect gathering requirements, SAFSP additionally oversaw the betterment of multiple specialized systems during this period, specified as LORRIs I and II, which were intended to study portions of the spectrum that were motionless mostly unused by the military.

The idea for LORRI I was developed in 1973–1974, but constricted backing delayed its development.[48] LORRI I was an attached payload carried on a HEXAGON moon launched in 1980 and was “the archetypal moon collector of SIGINT in the 26-to-42-gigahertz frequence range. It remained alongside its presenter spacecraft for its complete life of eight months.[49] LORRI I was intended to study this frequence range to decide if it was being used by the Soviet Union or another countries for new purposes. It apparently demonstrated that the frequence range was mostly quiet. According to one document, the Naval Research Laboratory’s NRO component agency (known as Program C) “flew an earlier, mostly unproductive mission” akin to LORRI I. (It is unclear what this goal was, but it may have been included on a POPPY satellite.)[50]

LORRI II was expanded to shield three additional frequence ranges. These were 92 to 96 gigahertz, 70 to 74 gigahertz, and a VHF gathering opening centered at 158 megahertz to collect signals from a still-classified radar mark as fine as the ample Soviet HEN HOUSE ABM and space-tracking radars.[51]

LORRI II was mounted to the flank of the final HEXAGON photo-reconnaissance satellite, which was planned to have a much longer life than former HEXAGONs, staying in orbit lengthy following its movie ran out. That moon and the LORRI II payload were misplaced whenever the Titan 34D missile exploded shortly following liftoff in April 1986. This prompted the NRO to hunt for near-term alternatives to substitute the capability. One resolution was a small moon known as GLORIA I. The another was to create modifications to FARRAH III, afterward about one twelvemonth from launch.[52]

Two classified GLORIA satellites were carried into orbit on area shuttle missions STS-28R in 1989 and STS-39 in 1991. The concealed satellites were carried in containers in the shuttle's payload bay. (credit: NASA)

GLORIA

GLORIA I was a small moon deployed from the payload bay of the area shuttle Columbia during the STS-28R goal in 1989. It was a spin-stabilized moon alongside a sole one-foot (30-centimeter) parabolic receiver. GLORIA I was initially conceived to collect signals in the 18-to-26-gigahertz region, but the defeat of LORRI II caused a alter to obstruct a higher frequence band.[53] GLORIA I’s chief goal was a broad hunt for pulsed emitters in the 30-to-38-giaghertz frequence region, repeating a study of this frequence collection that had been conducted by LORRI I nearly a decade earlier. It was additionally intended to test the feasibility of low-cost, quick reply satellites and was mostly considered a success. Because GLORIA did not discover any new or different uses for this frequence region, the NRO resolute that another study would not be needed for a decade. Early during the mission, the satellite’s firm province recollection suffered from radiation and “latch up” problems, which were overcome.

The GLORIA satellites were comparatively small (note the scissors on the table) and used to hunt portions of the broadcast spectrum for new emitters. (credit: NRO)

GLORIA II was a nearly identical moon deployed from the area shuttle Discovery during the STS-39 goal in 1991. GLORIA II’s memory, command decoder, and bulk recollection controller had been upgraded to conquer first escape deficiencies.[54] Both GLORIA satellites were built by Ball Brothers, alongside the payload built by E-Systems. They were intended to encounter a necessity for quick response, low cost, and constricted period goal objectives. GLORIA II surveyed 18-to-26-gighertz frequencies for radar and communications emitters, a frequence area that had not earlier been covered by NRO satellites. GLORIA II did detect an unidentified radar, although particulars are unavailable. A GLORIA III was apparently evaluated, but not developed.

CARRIE was launched in 1994 as part of the STEX moon (also known as DARPASAT). It was designed to detect communications and provision intellect data to American tactical forces. (credit: NRO)

CARRIE

CARRIE stood for COMINT and Rapid Reporting Interferometry Experiment.[56] CARRIE started out as a idea inside the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for an “experimental moon providing straightforward assistance to warfighters.” The planned goal life was one year, but the moon lasted eight years until reentering the ambiance in 2002. The moon was designed to be quickly responsive, definition that the gathering requirements could be quickly changed during the moon was overhead.

The CARRIE moon was launched as a ride-share on a Taurus missile in 1994, part of the STEX satellite. One of its contributions to intellect gathering was finding evidence of “heritage” Soviet communications systems motionless functioning in Cuba. It additionally geolocated new and unidentified emitters in multiple countries.

CARRIE was considered to be part of Mission 7200, since it was attached to STEX. CARRIE’s concentration was on communications intelligence. STEX was apparently additionally used to relay data from FARRAH satellites that had misplaced their strip recorders a few years earlier, although it is unclear how STEX accomplished this.[57]

Mission 7300 ends

A summary produced in delayed 1997 indicated that Mission 7300 (the FARRAH satellites) and Mission 7200 (the CARRIE satellite) had detected 55 new signals in 1993, 52 in 1994, 49 in 1995, 33 in 1996, and 18 new signals by September 1997.[58] Clearly the figure of new detections was declining complete this period, although whether this was since of the downfall of the Soviet Union or the restrictions of the satellites is unknown.

As first as 1980 there were studies inside the NRO concerning perchance merging the PARCAE sea surveillance scheme alongside the satellites of Mission 7300. That merger was rejected at the period in favor of upgrading the two systems. But the beingness of two systems for low Earth orbit signals intellect collection, alongside alongside the expanding disbursal of both, required NRO officials to defend them, apparently the two from the White House’s Office of Management and Budget and applicable legislative committees.

The Mission 7100 sea surveillance program ended in 2008, but it is unclear when, or if, the Mission 7300 signals intellect program additionally ended, or if several of the satellites remain functioning notwithstanding having been supplanted by a new attempt starting in the 1990s.

At several item during the 1980s, the program agency for Mission 7300 produced a document explaining “Why Mission 7300 does so fine in detecting new signals.” It declared that the scheme was “superior in its capability to discover new signals in the SIGINT surroundings since it has the following inherent characteristics: particular scheme capabilities, and extended parametric and geolocation data from a sole blip (pulse or CW sample).”[59] The particular scheme capabilities included complete Earth coverage, including the southernmost hemisphere and broad sea areas. It “continues to measure the earth surroundings previous to, during, and following events. While another systems are focusing on earth events, Mission 7300 continues to provision General Search data.” It additionally had extended frequence safety of 2 to 18 gigahertz, affirmative 20 to 60 megahertz, 150 to 170 megahertz, and 30 to 38 gigahertz, alongside forthcoming capability (possibly in FARRAH V) including the regions 0.8 to 2 gigahertz and 18 to 26 gigahertz. The scheme had fast frequence extend safety and geolocation alongside a sole collector.

All of the Mission 7300 data was processed and analyzed. This was apparently in difference to the PARCAE data, which was not entirely processed. As one erstwhile PARCAE contractor noted, at smallest in the first years of the program much of the data was abandoned since there was too much to process.

According to documents released by the NRO, the low Earth orbit signals intellect goal and the sea surveillance goal were eventually merged during the 1990s. The Mission 7100 sea surveillance program ended in 2008, but it is unclear when, or if, the Mission 7300 signals intellect program additionally ended, or if several of the satellites remain functioning notwithstanding having been supplanted by a new attempt starting in the 1990s.

Today, moon intellect is unified into armed forces operations additional extensively than always before, the supreme bequest of Program 989 and its satellites named following movie actresses.

Acknowledgement: The author wishes to appreciate NW for his extended help.

References

1. “P-989 Historical Summary and Aerospace Support,” November 1972, C05098605, p. 3. This and the another documents are accessible here.
2. The Program 989 heading was discontinued sometime in the 1980s, perchance replaced by another name which is deleted in the titles of multiple late-1980s documents. The deletions are too lengthy to be a number. For example, see: “[Deleted] SIGINT Collection Systems,” November 1, 1987, C05098752.
3. Mission 7800 referred to an “intrusion finding system” likely mounted to most satellites to detect attempts to hack them. This was the successor to a program in the 1960s known as “BIT.”
4. “Mission 7300 Evolution,” [n.d. but likely 1990], C05098529, p. 19.
5. Ibid. Information on MABELI is on pp. 15-19.
6. Ibid., p. 22. According to one document, multiple of these are acronyms, although it is extremely apt that they were “backronyms,” definition that they came up alongside the name archetypal and afterward created an acronym that fit. They are: URSALA = Universal Radar Search And Location Acquisition; RAQUEL = Radar AcQUisition Equipment alongside 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 another type of this former 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 several documents use Roman numerals for the two RAQUEL satellites (I and IA), others use the numbers 1 and 1A.
23. “Section VI: Spacecraft,” n.d. (but about February 1992), C05098535.
24. Ibid.
25. “Mission 7300 Evolution.” Falkland Islands War is mentioned 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 origin indicates that the scheme life 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 document is slightly confusing since although the shield leaf indicates it was produced in 1998, leaf 13 includes a citation to the FARRAH program being “Still living 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 likely 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 would be accessible for initiate in summer 1988, but it was not launched until summer 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.

Dwayne Day can be reached at [email protected].

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