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Author
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Topic: Satellite imagery used to help save Skylab
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Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 43576
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 05-21-2013 03:51 PM
   
Dwayne Day writes for The Space Review about a top secret spy satellite that was pressed into emergency service to help save the crippled NASA Skylab space station 40 years ago. The mission was a success, and a closely guarded secret, until a retired Air Force general decided to brag. Major General David Bradburn, who was then the head of the Office of Special Projects, one of the NRO’s component offices and based in Los Angeles, quickly proposed that a GAMBIT-3 spacecraft, also known as the KH-8, readying for launch on May 16, be used to take a photograph of Skylab to assist NASA in planning a repair mission. The manned Skylab 2 mission, which had now become a repair mission, was scheduled to launch on May 25. That short turnaround time meant that the first phase of the GAMBIT’s photographic mission would have to be cut short in order to return the photos earlier so they could be used for planning the repair mission.According to Bradburn, who spoke about the incident during an Air Force history symposium in 1995, he made the argument that Skylab was an American project and it was in the best interests of the nation that it not fail. This justified using an intelligence satellite to help save it, even if that undermined some of the intelligence collection. Bradburn’s proposal was approved by his superiors in the NRO and, presumably, by the Director of Central Intelligence and the Secretary of Defense. |
Ronpur
Member Posts: 1220
From: Brandon, Fl
Registered: May 2012
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posted 05-21-2013 06:57 PM
Amazing, I wish we could see that photo when it gets declassified. |
Headshot
Member Posts: 891
From: Vancouver, WA, USA
Registered: Feb 2012
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posted 05-21-2013 07:42 PM
Very interesting.I remember reading, in late May of 1973, a very brief comment that a cutting edge U.S. imaging asset was used to photograph the Skylab workshop before Conrad and his crew were launched. This was "confirmed" to me as I listened to Conrad describe the damaged workshop. He seemed excited, but not at all surprised by the extent of the damage. I recall reading that the thin strap holding the solar panel wing to the workshop was visible in the images and that the asset used was ground-based. Perhaps my memory is faulty, or there was more than one type of asset used to save Skylab. I sure wish that I could find that darn article. |
Jim Behling
Member Posts: 1488
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: Mar 2010
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posted 05-21-2013 08:51 PM
The strap would not have been visible in any ground or space based photography. It wasn't even visible to the crew until they were fairly close. |
moorouge
Member Posts: 2458
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 05-22-2013 01:30 AM
I can confirm that "high tech" assets used to image Skylab were reported at the time, though the details were not elaborated upon in the reports that appeared in the press. An intelligent guess would have led one to realise that this had to be satellite based. |
Dwight
Member Posts: 577
From: Germany
Registered: Dec 2003
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posted 05-22-2013 11:15 AM
Page 152 of "Brassey's Air Power: Aircraft Weapons Systems and Technology Series, Volume 10, Military Space" (ISBN 0-08-037347-X) contains a photo made by the Air Force Maui Optical Station 1.6 metre telescope operated by Avco Research Laboratory, a ground based telescope. This was the only imaging I found in hundreds of documents I have read in researching my Skylab project. While more than one method may have been used to image Skylab, is it not also possible that those involved have hazy memories? |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 43576
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 05-22-2013 11:39 AM
The Space Review's article includes mention of the ground based telescope imagery as a separate asset. |
Dwight
Member Posts: 577
From: Germany
Registered: Dec 2003
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posted 05-22-2013 12:18 PM
That, then, makes this revelation all the more interesting. The Maui photo shows the failed solar array clearly not deployed, though it is very grainy. I wonder how the satellite image looks in comparison. |
Jim Behling
Member Posts: 1488
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: Mar 2010
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posted 05-22-2013 12:49 PM
The Maui photo was taken after the EVA to fix the remaining array. The array is in the deployed position in the photo. |
Blackarrow
Member Posts: 3160
From: Belfast, United Kingdom
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 05-25-2013 12:00 PM
On 20th May, 1973, the London "Sunday Times" (referring to the status of Skylab's main solar arrays) reported: "Some pictures taken with the Defence Department's secret camera may show the state of the booms, but NASA refuses to reveal what they show." A week later, the 28th May edition of "Time" made no mention of any "secret" pictures in a long report on Skylab's troubled launch. |
Headshot
Member Posts: 891
From: Vancouver, WA, USA
Registered: Feb 2012
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posted 05-28-2013 06:29 PM
Although this is not the article to which I refer earlier in this thread, a side box in the May 21, 1973 issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology offers the following: USAF tracking cameras in New Mexico successfully photographed the crippled Skylab workshop after it was placed in orbit. The photos were being used in conjunction with the planning of emergency repair operations by NASA.USAF refused to permit NASA to release the photographs on the grounds that it would reveal the U.S. capability to photograph objects in Earth orbit. |
rasorenson
Member Posts: 101
From: Santa Clara, CA, USA
Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 04-02-2020 10:02 PM
This 2016 article discusses details of the failures during launch of Skylab I that resulted in loss of the micrometeoroid shield and solar wing. It cites photography by DOD of various launch vehicle pieces after achieving orbit. ...confirmed by images and video taken by the Department of Defense (in addition, the DoD also confirmed the suspicion that Skylab was missing its MS and one solar wing, and possessed a jammed solar wing). According to Oleszewski’s blog, a gentleman named Tom Faber was able to see not only Skylab, but also four sections of the payload shroud, the S-II (with the weights), and the lost solar panel passing NW to SE over Atlanta shortly following its launch. I assume the photos were classified at the time, but it would be fascinating to see what they saw in those photos.Editor's note: Threads merged. |
Blackarrow
Member Posts: 3160
From: Belfast, United Kingdom
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 04-03-2020 03:15 PM
...Tom Faber was able to see not only Skylab, but also four sections of the payload shroud, the S-II (with the weights), and the lost solar panel I well remember looking for Skylab (on 23rd, 26th and 27th June, 1973, according to my diary) and on at least one occasion seeing a train of four lights crossing the sky. The timings matched the newspaper predictions for Skylab, so I assume the three "carriages" of the train were detached components. |
Fra Mauro
Member Posts: 1624
From: Bethpage, N.Y.
Registered: Jul 2002
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posted 04-03-2020 05:05 PM
The 2016 article gives tremendous details on the launch that I haven't seen elsewhere. I've never imagined for example that the shield hit the S-II. How heavy was it? |
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