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PROGRAM 437: the AIR FORCE's FIRST I ANTISATELLITE SYSTEM T by I Dr

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PROGRAM 437: the AIR FORCE's FIRST I ANTISATELLITE SYSTEM T by I Dr ,.": .Li.; il , úi;: .li.''ii:;;,,ii,.,¡t ['"t¡t+;*rÍ,ffi'i,;, ,ii. ri+riilt{{+iii$;ffi $ffi DECLASSIFIED: 6 May 91 F0IA review - AFSPACEC0I'1 91-091 ti,ii;l !::: .' ì: ! iji:;!-'j ,-;ì ì1-:1 . ;it i,,i rl ,Í:,,:,1 .::-,!li-,l :;'#¡1';, ¡.:.ri]l t l t I PROGRAM 437: THE AIR FORCE'S FIRST I ANTISATELLITE SYSTEM T by I Dr. Wayne R. Austerman I I I I t Air Force Space Command Office of History t April 1991 I I I I (This page is Unclassified) ** * * * * I '*r:fr*:r ExllEÞ*x* I tl¡ FI r SECURITY NOTICE (U) This volume is classified SECRET by multiple sources to conform to I the classification of the information contained in the sourõe documents. It contains info_rmation affecting_the national defense of the united states. Handle according to tÏe provisions of DOD 5200.1.R and AFR 205-1. Provide the utmost securiti T and restrict distribution and dissemination of its contents on a stdct ',need-to'- know" basis. Records supporting this derivative classífication are listed in the I notes. -. -(U)fo achieve production efficienry with word processing equipment, the overali classification of the narrative chapters I through lv and the nòtès to those I chapters have been ma¡ked SECRET. The pages cóntaining CONFIDENTIAL information are pages xidv, 12 and 13" The pages cóntaining SECRET I information are pages 9, 19-28,34-36,38-48, and 53-64. (U) Special notarion which appears in this volume is: NOT t REIÆASABLE TO FOREIGN NATIONAI-S (NF) or (NOFORN), pgs 9 and 46. T Ð eCLtq-sS 2,,=tE_¿ -- á /'r'4y 7/ I F¿t+ .rzEr/e"4/ : ,,-+F5FAç¿: cà-24 7/- Ò1/ I I lr T I I iii :r.:r * rr ,r ¡* * * * * x * I 'È 'r UNCI-ASSIFIED r |l Il I FOREWORD t - (U) This monograph was pu-blished following Dr Austerman,s departure from the AFspAcEcorú riistory öffice. sornoeaiüríg or irre ;iiÀtr;i;;i;;;ït T has been accomplished, but it hãs not been artered in-any fundañrental;;;. = t1-),=.t-,1 I /. t lÍdrÀ A. IÇ^n RobERT rr¡. xrpp ü f Chiel Office of Historv t HQ AFSPACECOM/HO I t I t I I I I I I v I *r:ß:rr,r ¡r UNCLASSIFIED *** **** I -.".,Ìt" PREFACE (U) This monograph .docu¡rents the background, development, test, deployment, and operation of the usAF s, first operãtionat' antisateiliæ .it"-, Program 437, f¡om its origin in the week folôwing sputnik in 1957 to-ìì; retirement n 1975. Essentially cobbed _.together frãm'a variety or technologies, it was valuable moie as a politiåt response to a future threat"*istinã thafi as a w. ar fighting weapori system. Still, from it thè Air Force gainea vatuaute expertise .in operating a space The tactical unit i,hich Program -wegpon. 437 remained for yèars the fi¡st and only "blue suit,' o.g"nirutioå"ñ;;t"d ìn ihã space launch business. study was prepared . *^_ , ^(U_)_ Ihis in large part from documents in the AFSPAcEcoM and Air Force-system's space Systems Division ttirio.y ãr"rri"å.. Fr.om-lheil pglsonal involvement in the prolram the foilowing in¿i"i¿uãì1 p.ã"r¿Ëä \flggb_¡e_insiClt: Cotonel T. G. Atcorn lUSar, net), Cãtonet j. R. i;;;ã (US.A!. Ret), Lieutgnanr Colo_Tel penni¡ Èagan,'Cotoíet p. n. ¡actson Ret), peterson_(U_SAF, úSeh, Coionel R. B. Ret), Cñ4Sgt A. J. Stotle¡ OSAF, nàó,;,i Colonel J. W. Yocum (USAF; ReÐ. Vlr t !¡ TABLE OF CONTENTS I I Program 437: '[he Air Force's First Antisatellite !l Page TITLE PAGE i SECURITY NOTICE PAGE . iii I FOREWORD PREFACE vii TABLE OF CONTENTS .... ix CHRONOLOGY .... .': I 1 CI{APTER I - Sputnik and the Reluctant ASAT Notes, Chap L ... 15 I CHAPTER II - Program 437's Development aûd Operational Testing 19 Notes, Chap II 29 CHAPTER III - On Active Service 33 I 49 Notes, Chap III CI{APTER fV - Program 437AP and Other Derivatives 53 ll Notes, Chap IV . 65 CONCLUSION 69 Notes, Conclusion 7L APPENDICES r I-Photographs .... t3 tr - Summary of Thor Launches from Johnston Isiand, t962-1975 93 I - Program 437 Alternate Payload Launches 95 III /437 IV - Historical Background of Johnston Island . 97 GLOSSARY 103 t INDEX 707 I I I T ; I it jì: ' ,., l.ì ì'i i,! i tI t n.t CHRONOLOGY 04 Oct 57 (U)' USSR launched the fi¡st artificial earth satellite, Sputnik The United States was ala¡med by the Soviet triumph and rl pondered the significance of a potential military threat from space. :r 03 Nov 57 (U) USSR launched a second earth satellite, an 1'120-pound craft carrying a canine passenger. Premier Khrushchev boasted that aircraft had been rendered obsolete as weapons systems. r I, the first American satellite, Iaunched from Cape 31 Jan 58 (U) Explorer I Canaveral, Florida. 26 Mar 58 (U)' President Eisenhower released the report- o-f the-President's .science Advisory Committee (PSAC) at a White.House press I conference. It disparaged military importance of space operations. I 18 Aug 58 (U)' President Eisenhower endorsed a National Security Co.uncil Report which advocated an immediate need for military communications, weather, and reconnaissance satellites. I o¡bit. 12 Apr 6I (U) The Soviet Union placed the first man in earth 18 Aug 61 (U) General l-aurence S. Kuter, NORAD commander, publicly t declared that recent Soviet space operations had advanced the need for an effective Ame¡ican antisatellite weaPon t system (ASAT). 09 Feb 62 I- Nr Force Systems Command (AFSC) issued Advanced Development Objective 40 (ADO 40), which called fo¡ I research and development geared toward producing an ASAT system. I 28 Jw 62 A The DOD Di¡ector of Defense Research and Engineering " ' challenged the value of the USAF s proposed satellite inspection vehicle, citing lack ofintelligence on Soviet orbital I bombardment capabilities. 12 Sep 62 6Û-' Preliminary development program for a nuclear-armed ASAT I derived fróm ADO 40 was presented to Secretary of the Air T xi * i * * * * *J-¡-¡IE= * :Ì'r )i * * * ; I +:r**,tt+ flÜËllÞ, t*t'r*'** É Force Zuckert. He was critical of the proposed use of a t nuclear warhead, but orde¡ed that a fully documented version -t of the plan be presented for his review as soon as possible. I 08 Feb 63 Secretary Z:uckert officially designated the proposed ASAT @ L system as Program 437. I 20Mar 63 of Staff, to ensure that Program 437 received "top priority" among his servicels space projects. ; 15 Apr 63 (U) Headquarters AFSC issued orders creating the 6595th Test Squadron at VandenberC AFB, California, to oversee I development of Program 437. 01 May 63 fi President Kennedy instructed the Department of Defense I to develop an ASAT system "at the earliest practicable time." 27 Jm63 S Secretary of Defense Robe¡t S. McNamara reviewed planning I for Program 437 and declared that he wanted the capability "to initiate the destruction of a satellite by a telephone call." I 15 Nov 63 (U) The 6569th Test Squadron deactivated. The unit was immediately reactivâted as the 10th Aerospace Defense Squadron (ADS), a êomponent of the 9th Aerospace Defense I Force, commanded by Colonel Charles Minihan. 14 Feb 64 {$ A Douglas Aircraft Co¡poration contractor crew staged the first Program 43T test launching of a Thor booster frbm t Johnston Isla¡d i¡ the Pacific. 01 Mar 64 .{Þ Second research and development launch from Johnston I Island. Ë 05 Mar 64 {D Air Defense Command (ADC) and Space Systems Division ll (SSD) of AFSC co-authored an operations plan for Program 437. I 19 Apr 64 ;Ç Planned third research and development launch cancell'ed due to a faulty LOX valve. r 27 Apr 64 $ Third research and development launch from Johnston Island. 28}llfay 64 {s First launch from Johnston Island by Air Force personnei. I xii *,rr.**** ***,¡*r* l dhru I Ç 29 May 64 ll Program 437 granted,Initial Operational Capability status. 10 Jun 64 Ð Second Thor ASAT joined the first on the alert pads at program Johnston Island. 437 rated as fully operatìonal. 20 Sep 64 (U) P.residentJohnsonpublicly disclosed the existérrcã of prograrn 437 in a speech at Sacramento, Califo¡nia. 16 Nov 64 Ç Firs! Progrgm 437 Combat Training Launch (CTL) conducted. (These exercises were also rãfe¡¡ed to as Crew Evaluarion l-aunches (CELs).) 05 Apr 65 .$ Second Program 437 CTL. :ït: 07 Dec 65 Ç First Program 4374p launch. 17 Jan 65 Q Second Program 437Ap launch. 12 Mar 66 fD Third Program 437Ap launch. 02 Jul 66 I A Program 4374P mission launch in support of a NASA requirement failed. 30 Nov 66 fi H^eadquarters USAF announced termination of program 437AP. Jan 67 ,0i (U) 10 ADS redesignated as,the 10th Air Defense Group (ADG), with two,squadrons (25 ADS and 24th Support) unde¡ its command. Mar 67 '11 ç lDC issued a Required Operational Capabitity (ROC) request fo¡ a new satellite interceptor system. 3A Mar 67 $ Third Program 437 CfL. 25 May 67 (U) -419$ Support Squadron of rhe Srraregic Air Command (SAC) deactivated and merged wirh rh;i¡ Adc. ¿Õ ¡eo oð t Thor on Launch Fmplacement #1 at Johnston Island rated norroperational due to hydrocarbon contamination of a subsystem. Booster replaðed by 29 March. 13 May 68 fr Fourth Program 437 CfLaborted due to a lockup guidance malfunction. 14 May 68 {F Fourth Program 437 CÍL successful. xiii r¡**¡¡,¡,r* €nlËEL **¡** * r¡* ,¡rtr*tr. æt[G¡IË r:r'¡¡*** + 21 Nov 68 p) Fifth Program 437 C'lL successful; + 22Mar 69 p) Turbo-pump failure on one of the alert Thors reduced Program 437 to a C-3 status until 2 April.
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