KH-5

home
topic index

Code Name: Argon. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Destination: Surveillance Orbit. Nation: USA. Agency: U.S. Navy. Manufacturer: Lockheed.

US mapping satellite. Carried one frame camera, with a focal length of 76 mm, and a ground resolution of 140 m. Ground swath was 556 km x 556 km. The camera was adapted to a frame-scanning system and used on the Lunar Orbiter spacecraft.

Typical orbit: 282 x 500 km, 90.1 deg inclinaton. Mass: 1,274 kg (2,808 lb).

KH-5 Chronology

1961 February 17 - Discoverer 20 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC1W. Launch Vehicle: Delta. Mass: 1,110 kg (2,440 lb). Perigee: 277 km (172 mi). Apogee: 491 km (305 mi). Inclination: 80.80 deg. Period: 92.30 min.
KH-5; film capsule not ejected. Mission failed. Program malfunctioned and capsule did not reenter. First attempted ARGON mission. Officially: Spacecraft Engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).

1961 February 17 - SRV 520 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC1W. Launch Vehicle: Delta.

1961 April 8 - Discoverer 23 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC1E. Launch Vehicle: Delta. Mass: 1,150 kg (2,530 lb). Perigee: 295 km (183 mi). Apogee: 651 km (404 mi). Inclination: 82.30 deg. Period: 94.10 min.
KH-5; film capsule boosted into higher orbit, decayed 5/23/62. Mission failed. Loss of satellite control gas caused unstable condition. No recovery. Officially: Spacecraft Engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).

1961 June 8 - SRV 541 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC1W. Launch Vehicle: Delta. FAILURE: Failure.

1961 June 8 - Discoverer 24 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC1W. Launch Vehicle: Delta. FAILURE: Failure. Mass: 1,150 kg (2,530 lb).
KH-5. Mission failed.

1961 July 21 - Discoverer 27 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC1W. Launch Vehicle: Delta. FAILURE: Failure. Mass: 1,150 kg (2,530 lb).
KH-5; destroyed by range safety. Mission failed.

1961 July 21 - SRV 524 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC1W. Launch Vehicle: Delta. FAILURE: Failure.

1962 May 15 - KH-5 9034A - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC1E. Launch Vehicle: Delta. Mass: 1,150 kg (2,530 lb). Perigee: 283 km (175 mi). Apogee: 550 km (340 mi). Inclination: 82.30 deg. Period: 93.00 min.
KH-5; film capsule recovered 4.1 days later. First successful KH-5 mission. Officially: Spacecraft Engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).

1962 September 1 - SRV 600 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC1E. Launch Vehicle: Delta.

1962 September 1 - KH-5 9042A - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC1E. Launch Vehicle: Delta. Mass: 1,150 kg (2,530 lb). Perigee: 293 km (182 mi). Apogee: 639 km (397 mi). Inclination: 82.80 deg. Period: 94.00 min.
KH-5. Mission failed. Parachute shrouds parted during air catch, capsule sank. Officially: Spacecraft Engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).

1962 October 9 - KH-5 9046A - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC1W. Launch Vehicle: Delta. Mass: 1,150 kg (2,530 lb). Perigee: 213 km (132 mi). Apogee: 427 km (265 mi). Inclination: 82.00 deg. Period: 91.00 min.
KH-5; film capsule recovered 4.1 days later. 50% of stellar terrain film was blank due to shutter malfunction. Officially: Spacecraft Engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).

1962 October 9 - SRV 603 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC1W. Launch Vehicle: Delta.

1963 April 26 - KH-5 9055A - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC2E. Launch Vehicle: Delta. FAILURE: Attitude sensors were misaligned. No orbit. Mass: 1,500 kg (3,300 lb).
Mission failed.

1963 October 29 - KH-5 9059A - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC1W. Launch Vehicle: Delta. Mass: 1,500 kg (3,300 lb). Perigee: 283 km (175 mi). Apogee: 318 km (197 mi). Inclination: 89.90 deg. Period: 90.60 min.
KH-5; deployed ELINT subsatellite. Fourth film payload retrieved in ARGON program. Film comparable to that of 9058A. Officially: Spacecraft Engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).

1964 June 13 - KH-5 9065A - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC2W. Launch Vehicle: Delta. Mass: 1,500 kg (3,300 lb). Perigee: 352 km (218 mi). Apogee: 362 km (224 mi). Inclination: 114.90 deg. Period: 91.70 min.
KH-5; carried Star Flash experiment. Officially: Spacecraft Engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).

1964 August 21 - KH-5 9066A - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC2W. Launch Vehicle: Delta. Mass: 1,500 kg (3,300 lb). Perigee: 351 km (218 mi). Apogee: 363 km (225 mi). Inclination: 114.90 deg. Period: 91.70 min.
KH-5. 15% of stellar film degraded by flare. Image smearing on leading edge of main camera film. Final ARGON mission. Officially: Spacecraft Engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).

Bibliography:

McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page (launch records), Harvard University, 1997-present. Web Address when accessed: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.
JPL Mission and Spacecraft Library, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1997. Web Address when accessed: http://msl.jpl.nasa.gov/home.html.
Bramscher, Robert G, Spaceflight, "A Survey of Launch Vehicle Failures", 1980, Volume 22, page 351.
McDowell, Jonathan, Launch Log, October 1998. Web Address when accessed: http://hea-www.harvard.edu/~jcm/space/log/launch.html.

Contact us with any corrections, additions, or comments.

Conditions for use of drawings, pictures, or other materials from this site..
To contact astronauts or cosmonauts.

© Mark Wade, 1997 - 2008 except where otherwise noted.