+------------+---------+-----------+------------+------------+------------+ | KH | System | Successful| Period of | Amount of | No. of | | Designator | | Mission | Operations | Film | Primary | | | | Numbers | | (ft.) | Camera | | | | | | | Frames | |------------|---------|-----------|------------|------------|------------| | KH-5 | ARGON | 9034A, | February | 22,503 | 38,578 | | | | 9046A, | 1961 - | | | | | | 9058A, | August | | | | | | 9059A, | 1964 | | | | | | 9065A, | | | | | | | 9066A | | | | +------------+---------+-----------+------------+------------+------------+
The following table gives a listing of all missions organized according to mission number order. The statement "mission failed" is made under the mission description for missions that failed to acquire imagery.
|---------------|---------------|--------------------------------------| | KH-5 Mission | Date | Short Mission Description | | | Launched | | |---------------|---------------|--------------------------------------| | 9014A | 17-Feb-61 | Mission failed. Program | | | | malfunctioned and capsule did not | | | | reenter. First attempted ARGON | | | | mission. | |---------------|---------------|--------------------------------------| | 9016A | 8-Apr-61 | Mission failed. Loss of satellite | | | | control gas caused unstable | | | | condition. No recovery. | |---------------|---------------|--------------------------------------| | 9018A | 8-Jun-61 | Mission failed. Electrical failure | | | | occurred in launch sequence guidance | | | | system. | |---------------|---------------|--------------------------------------| | 9020A | 21-Jul-61 | Mission failed. Destroyed by range | | | | safety officer because of abnormal | | | | pitch. | |---------------|---------------|--------------------------------------| | 9034A | 15-May-62 | First successful KH-5 mission. | |---------------|---------------|--------------------------------------| | 9042A | 1-Sep-62 | Mission failed. Parachute shrouds | | | | parted during air catch, capsule | | | | sank. | |---------------|---------------|--------------------------------------| | 9046A | 9-Oct-62 | 50% of stellar terrain film was | | | | blank due to shutter malfunction. | |---------------|---------------|--------------------------------------| | 9055A | 26-Apr-63 | Mission failed. Attitude sensors | | | | were misaligned. No orbit. | |---------------|---------------|--------------------------------------| | 9058A | 29-Aug-63 | Considered to be best mission to | | | | date in Argon program. | |---------------|---------------|--------------------------------------| | 9059A | 29-Oct-63 | Fourth film payload retrieved in | | | | ARGON program. Film comparable to | | | | that of 9058A. | |---------------|---------------|--------------------------------------| | 9065A | 13-Jun-64 | Best KH-5 mission to date. | |---------------|---------------|--------------------------------------| | 9066A | 21-Aug-64 | 15% of stellar film degraded by | | | | flare. Image smearing on leading | | | | edge of main camera film. Final | | | | ARGON mission. | |---------------|---------------|--------------------------------------|