KH-7 Gambit - History

History

Section source: Space Review

In early 1963, the GAMBIT program began with failures. The first test launch was in May 1963 with an Atlas-Agena D launch vehicle on a pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base. The non-operational payload simulating a GAMBIT satellite was atop the Atlas and failed its launch with an accident.

The first successful GAMBIT mission was launched on July 12, 1963. Another Atlas-Agena D was used at Vandenberg. The Atlas rocket performed properly and when the fuel was exhausted it fell into the Pacific Ocean south of Vandenberg. The Agena’s Bell second-stage rocket engine then fired and put Gambit into polar orbit with a 102-mile (189 kilometers) altitude. The Air Force designated this mission number 4001.

Aerospace Corporation recommended that, during GAMBIT’s first flights, the Orbital Control Vehicle (OCV) should remain attached to the Agena. This was a proven successful process for other Agena tests; and whereas the OCV was not. This decision limited GAMBIT's functionality, meaning that photographs could only be taken of targets directly below the vehicle. Once the successful photographic phase of the mission 4002 was completed, the OVC and the Agena was separated and the reentry vehicle would come down into the ocean northwest of Hawaii. The re-entry vehicle was caught in mid-air with a C-130 Hercules aircraft. The film canister was then immedidately transported to Eastman Kodak's Hawkeye facility in Rochester, New York for processing. The developed results was sent to USAF imagery research analysts in Washington, DC.

GAMBIT mission 4003, was successfully launched on October 25, 1963. The film canister was again ejected successfully after the photographic phase and the capsule recovered by an aircraft. Other tests was carried out with the OCV.

GAMBIT mission 4004 was successfully launched and film canister recovered on December 18, 1963. Missions 4005 thru 4007 were also successful.

In May 1964 mission 4008 suffered major problems when the Agena did an unexplained roll during the boost phase. Even with OCV system problems, the film canister was able to return some imagery.

A variety of problems occurred with many of the remaining missions, with 2 ending with complete failure, and some with satellite placement but no imagery returned.

The KH-7 GAMBIT was an overall success, even with some failures; thus providing National Reconnaissance Office and the President with quality intelligence collection. Following KH projects had greatly improved major upgrades in the spacecraft and its camera systems.