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Satellite Systems Overview
Satellite Orbits
Low Earth Orbit (LOE)
200- 1000 Miles Above Ground Level
.03 Second Roundtrip Latency for Upload and Download
Used by military satellites
Middle Earth Orbits (MEO)
6250 - 13000 Miles Above Ground Level
.06 to .14 Second Roundtrip Latency
Geoysynchronous Orbit
22,300 Miles Above Ground Level
.24 Second Roundtrip Latency
Used by most commercial satellites
Special Satellite Bands
L Band - 1.63 to 2.76 GHz
Ku Band - 11.7 to 12.76 GHz Downlink
14 to 17.6 GHz Uplink
Ka Band - 18 to 31 GHz (Low Earth Orbit)
Satellites have footprint which represents their bandwidth, each
foot print may be partitioned into subfootprints or spot beams
to focus a beam.
Civilian, Private and Commercial Satellite Systems
Intelsat - International Telecommunications Satellite Organization
Inmarsat - International Mobile Satellite Organization
Comsat -Communications Satellite Act Agency created in 1962
Regulatory Authority
ITU - International Telecommunications Union
ACISS - Alliance for Competitive International Satellite Service
(Columbia Communications Corp., Motorola Inc., Odyssey Worldwide Service,
Orbital Communication Corp., Orion Network, TRW Inc.)
Governmental Satellite Agencies
Integrated Program Office 1994
NOOA- National Polar Orbiting Operational Environment Satellite Program
Coordinates DOD, DOC, NASA Satellites
Department of State, U.S. Coordinator for International Communications and
Information Policy
Department of Commerce
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Department of Defense
Navstar GPS (Global Positioning System)
DMSP (Defense Meteorological Satellite Program)
DSCS (Defense Satellite Communications System)
GOES (Geosynchronous Operational Environment Satellites)
MILSAT (ELINT (Electronic Intelligence, Long Wave Infrared Systems)
Most located ? 60 to 80 degrees of equatorial line?)
Balistic Missile Defense Organization
Space Missile Tracking System(Brilliant Eyes- Infrared System)
Remote Sensing Space Capabilities
Land Remote Sensing Policy Act 1992
U.S. Munitions List
Commerce Control List
NASA
Earth Observing Satellite System
References 13.Deep Black Space Espionage & National Security William E. Burroughs,
12.The Military Frontier 1988 Time Life Books
NSA (National Security Agency)main offices at Fort Meade Maryland, 20 Miles
N.E. ow Washington D.C. - Interpretation of Sigint
Suboffices or groups of NSA:
Defense Advanced Research Protect Agency (DARPA) 1958
NRO (National Reconnaissance Office) 4C-956 In Pentagon Office of Space Systems
NRO reports to Secretary of the Airforce for Space Systems
NRO designs, develops, and procures all U.S. Reconnaissance Satellites
and is responsible for management of in them in Orbit
NRO works with the Navy, Airforce, and Manufacturers of Satellites(TRW, Lockeed)
NRO suboffice at Airforce Satellite Control Facility Sunnyville, CA 1 Hour South of SF,CA.
Located in SCF Building "Blue Cube" were all U.S. Military Satellites are controlled.
NRO suboffice at Airforce Special Projects Office, El Segunda, CA, reports to 4c-956 but listed
under USAF Space Division. Works with Aerospace Corporation Think Tank.
NRO suboffice at CSCC (Airforce Space Command Consolidated Space Operations Center)
, Colorodo Springs 1992 2nd NRO satellite control facility.
NRO works with CIA (DS & T) Director of Science and Technology Office of Sigint Operations
NRO works with Navy Space Project Office - White Cloud Ocean Satellites Reconnaissance System
NRO works with Nasa
National Foreign Intelligence Board (NFIB) 1976 Formed,
previously Imagery Intelligence Organization 1958 Formed
Director of CIA as Chair of NFIB, State Department Bureau of Intelligence & Research(INR),
Assistance Chiefs of Staff, Army, Navy, Airforce, NRO,NSA, CIA, FBI, DOE, and DOT
meet once a week and discusses national reconnaissance tasks and priorities and gives
a report to the National Security Council and the President.
NFIB Comities
Comirex Formed 1967 (Committe on Imagery, Requirements and Exploitation)
Formerly COMOR (Committee on Overhead Reconnaissance)
Tasks and Priorities of Satellites
NREC Formed 1965 (National Executive Committe) Controls NRO
Chaired by Director CIA who reports to the Secretary of Defense
President's National Security Advisor
National Reconnaissance Executive Committee
National Photographic Interpretation Center (NPIC)Federal Building 213 on M & 1st Street
Washington D.C.
Spy Satellites
March 1955 Airforce and CIA Discoverer 13 Series Spy Satellites 12 Inch Resolution.
Jan 31 1961 Samos II Spy Satellite Photo's beamed by radio to ground station,
20 foot resolution.
May 8, 1963 KH-5 Super Samos
KH-6, KH-7 -1966 2" Resolution, Infrared, multisprectral scanners, and thematic
mappers
KH-9 sends photos to SDS Satellite which then sends information to the
Defense Communications Electronics Evaluation & Testing Activity
at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
1976 Keyhole 11 Type KH-11 Spy Satellites, 10cm/4 Inch resolution. 200 mile altitude.
Optical Telescope, Mechanical Retina with Charged Coupled Device (CCD) that senses
heat, and light, and has night vision. Analogue to Digital Converter, Data
is sent to a computer for enhancement, debluring, and enlargement. Takes
Red, Blue, Green, Infrared, pictures. Communications Antenna used to pick
up communications in areas under surveillance.
Also called Kennan or 5500 Series)
Real Time Digital Imagery in 1977 made by TRW & CIA
June 14, 1978 5502 KH-11
Feb 7, 1980 5503 KH-111
Sep 3, 1981 KH-11
Nov 17 1982 KH-11
KH-12
Can see through clouds, uses very high speed integrated circuitry(VHSIC), uses
Artificial Intelligence for identification and selection of targets.
Enhanced Infrared by Lockeed
Real Time Resolution of less than 3 Inches.
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