Status
Success
KH-7 35 (Gambit-1 35)
Launch Time
Mon Dec 05, 1966 21:09 UTC
Mon Dec 05, 1966 21:09 UTC
Rocket
Mission Details
KH-7 35 (Gambit-1 35)
KH-7 (Keyhole 7) managed by NRO's Program A and operated this US Air Force system boasted long focal length cameras capable of identifying and measuring properties of targets such as missiles and aircraft, surpassing the resolution of the CORONA system. The spacecraft, a 3-axis-stabilized satellite separated from the Agena-D, housed the payload, camera system, and reentry vehicle (SRV), known as the OCV (Orbital Control Vehicle), built by General Electric. The KH-7 camera featured a 112 cm diameter primary mirror and achieved ground resolutions ranging from 0.61 m to 0.91 m, utilizing strip exposure techniques for capturing images with a swath width of 22 km and strip lengths of up to 741 km from its 167-kilometer orbit.
Low Earth Orbit
Location
SLC-4E, Vandenberg SFB, California, USA
Stats
1966
120th orbital launch attempt
Atlas-Agena
86th mission
24th mission of 1966
68th successful mission
13th consecutive successful mission