Vortex, previously known as Chalet, was a class of
spy satellite
A reconnaissance satellite or intelligence satellite (commonly, although unofficially, referred to as a spy satellite) is an Earth observation satellite or communications satellite deployed for military or intelligence applications.
The ...
operated by the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
during the 1980s and 1990s to collect
signals intelligence
Signals intelligence (SIGINT) is intelligence-gathering by interception of '' signals'', whether communications between people (communications intelligence—abbreviated to COMINT) or from electronic signals not directly used in communication ...
(SIGINT) from high Earth orbit. The Vortex satellites were operated by the
National Reconnaissance Office for the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Si ...
and listened to radio transmissions originating from Earth or space. The intercepted data is believed to have been fed into and analyzed by the
National Security Agency
The National Security Agency (NSA) is a national-level intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collecti ...
ECHELON
ECHELON, originally a secret government code name, is a surveillance program (signals intelligence/SIGINT collection and analysis network) operated by the five signatory states to the UKUSA Security Agreement:Given the 5 dialects that use ...
system.
The satellites each had a mass of approximately 1,800
kilogram
The kilogram (also kilogramme) is the unit of mass in the International System of Units (SI), having the unit symbol kg. It is a widely used measure in science, engineering and commerce worldwide, and is often simply called a kilo colloquially. ...
s and are operated from non-stationary
geosynchronous orbit
A geosynchronous orbit (sometimes abbreviated GSO) is an Earth-centered orbit with an orbital period that matches Earth's rotation on its axis, 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds (one sidereal day). The synchronization of rotation and orbita ...
s. Each reportedly carried a 38-meter-diameter umbrella-like
reflecting dish to collect radio signals from Earth. At least six launch attempts were made of Chalet/Vortex satellites between 1978 and 1989. The Chalet/Vortex satellites replaced the older generation of
Canyon satellites, and were superseded by the larger, more capable
Mercury satellites.
Launches
:''
* – The rockets used for the first three launches also included Transtages, however it was considered an integral component of the rocket, and an additional upper stage for launches.''
See also
*
Magnum SIGINT satellites – a similar, contemporary program run for the
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
*
Mercury or "Advanced Vortex" SIGINT satellites – replacements for Vortex
References
*Richelson, Jeffrey T. ed. ''U.S. Military Uses of Space, 1945-1991 Vol 1, Guide.'' National Security Archive. 1991.
External links
Vortex satellite drawing
from Federation of American Scientists
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) is an American nonprofit global policy think tank with the stated intent of using science and scientific analysis to attempt to make the world more secure. FAS was founded in 1946 by scientists who w ...
List of SIGINT satellites
from FAS
Jonathan's space report No 369
(1998-08-22)
from Encyclopedia Astronautica
The ''Encyclopedia Astronautica'' is a reference web site on space travel. A comprehensive catalog of vehicles, technology, astronauts, and flights, it includes information from most countries that have had an active rocket research program, f ...
Launch log
from Jonathan's Space Report
''Jonathan's Space Report'' (JSR) is a newsletter about the Space Age, hosted at Jonathan's Space Page. It is written by Jonathan McDowell, a Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian astrophysicist. It is updated as McDowell's schedule pe ...
{{US Reconnaissance Satellites
National Reconnaissance Office satellites
Signals intelligence satellites
Military equipment introduced in the 1970s