KH-8 GAMBIT

The KH-8, codenamed GAMBIT was a long-lived series of reconnaissance satellites used by the United States from July 1966 to April 1984. Also known as Low Altitude Surveillance Platform.^[1] The satellite ejected canisters of photographic film that were retrieved as they descended through the atmosphere by parachute. Ground resolution of the satellite was 0.5 meters. There were 54 launch attempts of the 3000 kilogram satellites, all from Vandenberg Air Force Base, on variants of the Titan III rocket. The KH-8 was manufactured by Lockheed. The camera system/satellite was manufactured by the Eastman Kodak Company, A&O Division in Rochester, N.Y.

The Gambit codename was also used by the satellite's predecessor, the KH-7.

Launch list

(NSSDC ID Numbers: See COSPAR)

References

• Mark Wade (August 9, 2003). KH-8. Encyclopedia Astronautica. Accessed April 23, 2004.
• KH-8 Gambit. GlobalSecurity.org

Other U.S. imaging spy satellites

• Corona series: KH-1, KH-2, KH-3, KH-4
• KH-5 ARGON, KH-6 LANYARD
• KH-7 and KH-8 GAMBIT
• KH-9 HEXAGON "Big Bird"
• MOL -- KH-10
• KH-11, KH-12, KH-13

v • d • e US Reconnaissance Satellites IMINT Photographic KH-1 CORONA · KH-2 CORONA · KH-3 CORONA · KH-4A CORONA · KH-4B CORONA · KH-5 ARGON · KH-6 LANYARD · KH-7 GAMBIT · KH-8 GAMBIT · KH-9 HEXAGON · KH-10 DORIAN Electro-optical SAMOS · KH-11 KENNAN · KH-12 · KH-13 · FIA Synthetic Aperture Radar LACROSSE · Infrared  · SIGINT Low-earth orbit Poppy · White Cloud · SAMOS F Highly Elliptical Orbit Jumpseat · Trumpet Geosynchronous Earth Orbit Canyon · Magnum · Mentor · Mercury · Rhyolite/Aquacade · Vortex MASINT Primary Mission FORTE · GPS · DMSP · Vela Secondary Mission MIDAS · DSP · SBIRS R&D Primary Mission MITEX · Secondary Mission  · Unknown USA Number USA-193 · USA-202