JETSTREAM

Intelligence subcommittee Project Three was led by Edwin Land, inventor of the Polaroid Camera System. The RAND study which deedt with Ccuneras in space found its place under a study on conventional aerial reconnaissance systems. RAND was directed to produce a study on high flying unmanned reconnaissance systems, and considered the use of stratospheric balloons. These systems, GOPHER and GENATRJX, were ground launched so that their aerial ascent would assume a trajectory directly driving into the jetstream. Jetstream propelled camera systems hurtled over Soviet territories, and were actually recovered. Edwin Land supported the GENATRIX project, informing the government on the state of his new high-resolution reconnaissance photography. High Altitude Balloons Weapon System 461-L, using high resolution photographic techniques (W. Levison), and air recovery.

After the somewhat inadequate results of these balloon missions. Project Three decided that only a maimed overflight could obtain much needed data on Soviet military installations. CL-282 craft designs were referred to as “Util-ity-2” or, “U-2”. The U-2 aircraft was discussed under Project name “Aquatone”, code name “Idealist”. The U-2 was viewed as an interim measure, a more immediate means until the deployment of a working spacecraft could be achieved. The U-2 aircraft was fitted with cameras and ELINT detectors. The Hycon Camera Corporation built the optical systems for the U-2, a camera (B-2) of resolving power 100 lines to the millimetre. The B-2 was capable of reading the labels fi-om cigarette packages at 8 miles aerial elevation; and could, at 13 miles elevation, produce the print firom a newspaper page without difficulty. Land suggested that the Lockheed U-2 be the vehicle of choice (1954). CIA overseers, A. F. Dulles and R. Bissel (Marshall Plan), directed Air Force Authority to use the U-2. Dulles and Bissel ordered 22 spy planes, a total cost of approximately 8 million dollars. These spy plane ventures carried inherent international hazards, a failed mission possibly resulting in a declaration of war. War in this scenario could have erupted into tactical nuclear deployments, the end of the known world for all rulerships.

Throughout this time frame, the CIA sponsored the Air Force issued design requirements for a military satellite system. Otherwise known as the Strategic Satellite System, designation WS-117L (Weapons System-117L), several agen-

Cies had already begun building workable space technologies. Of the three Industrial bases competing for the contract, Air Force chose the Lockheed design, called the AGENA (see figure). The AGENA spacecraft was 19 feet in length, 5 feet in diameter, occupied by a Bell Aerospace “Hustler” rocket engine and its fuel tanks (see figure).