May 18 1975
From The Space Library
Equipment aboard U.S. reconnaissance satellites could photograph a pack of cigarettes or monitor a radio conversation between foreign pilots from an orbit of 130 km, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Satellites could also instantly detect the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile and determine where it was going. Early reconnaissance satellites were of two types: SAMOS (satellite and missile observation system) satellites carried wide-area cameras to determine ground targets of interest; film was processed on board and imagery radioed to ground. Discoverer satellites from lower orbits used high-resolution cameras for closeups; the satellite ejected its film, which parachuted down for midair recovery by Air Force aircraft.
These satellites were replaced, in the 1970s, by the 11 340-kg "Big Bird" spacecraft. The Inquirer reported that technical experts believed that Big Birds carried TV cameras which allowed human monitors to maintain continuous watch on ground; if they saw something of interest, they could order immediate photographs by the satellite's high-resolution cameras. The experts also believed that Big Bird carried side-looking radar to penetrate cloudcover and equipment sensitive enough to distinguish between old and new grass. Resolution was no longer measured in meters but in centimeters.
The Inquirer also reported that other satellites carrying infrared and other detectors were used to monitor missile launches, detect hidden heat sources such as underground powerplants, and spot the warmth of buried missile silos. (Coughlin, P Inq, 18 May 75, 5E)
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