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Corona Spy Satellites used Kodak film

Eric Rose

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The Corona spy satellites are an interesting story. The fact that they launched these satellites with miles of 7 inch film manufactured by Kodak and then sent the exposed film back to earth in "pods" is fascinating.

Link to declassified program docs: http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2016/i...a.declass.gamhex.gambit.hexagon.histories.pdf

Kodak Recon films : http://graphics.kodak.com/KodakGCG/uploadedFiles/Corporate/Industrial_Materials_Group/EN_as57.pdf

The film that was used at one point: http://graphics.kodak.com/KodakGCG/uploadedFiles/Corporate/Industrial_Materials_Group/ti1669.pdf

Evidently other special purpose films were used as well including infrared and natural color.
 
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Early in 1995 when the first Corona images were declassified, I made some inkjet prints (the consumer technology was new) of some of the images and showed them to some of my Kodak friends that had worked on the project, and they still didn't feel comfortable talking about the images.
 
Sending exposed films back to earth meant a delay in information winning and alternative means were used. By the USSR too.

That the films were made by Kodak is not surpricing at all. Kodak was world leader in the industry and a US company.
 
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Thank you
 
AgX said:
Sending unexposed films back to earth meant a delay in information winning and alternative means were used. By the USSR too.
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Sometimes the film used to get lost in the polar ice and Rock Hudson had to push his submarine through the ice to retrieve it and then get into the kind of fierce arguments with his Soviet counterparts that would not have disgraced APUG .

It is said that both Ronnie and Mikhail held their summit meeting in the cold country of Iceland because both had loved "Ice Station Zebra" so much. Mind you, you could never trust Ernest Borgnine. Personally I never trusted him after "From Here To Eternity".

pentaxuser
 
Hundreds of pounds per roll ... wide film travelling at 22 inches per second ... capturing the film pod in descent or grabbing it from the ocean floor at 16,000 feet...

I am amazed at the capability of the engineers in those days and I actually wonder if the U.S. could do that again or go to the Moon again. Actually, I don't think it can; the very fabric of the country has changed.

One thing is certain: national competition in war and in times of political conflict has produced amazing technology and achievements.
 
There's not much interest in revisiting the moon. Mars is next. But the unmanned missions clearly demonstrate the nation's outstanding engineering abilities.
 
Theo Sulphate said:
I am amazed at the capability of the engineers in those days and I actually wonder if the U.S. could do that again or go to the Moon again. Actually, I don't think it can; the very fabric of the country has changed.
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Engineers have historically ALWAYS been good at stretching the limits of the available technology.
 
The reason the US, or any other country, is no longer able of going to the moon is that we are now more safety-conscious, or risk-averse. The early astronauts and cosmonauts knew that their safe return to Earth was not guaranteed.

In some ways, the Apollo missions were like the early all-manual SLR's compared with today's DSLR-like missions. But, the Apollo missions got the job done. Sometimes, the modern spacecraft are just too complicated and things go wrong.
 
The Cold War industry. Clearly. Now what if instead all that film and technology and money went to photographing families and children across theUSA and making an archive of it?
 
Wallendo said:
The reason the US, or any other country, is no longer able of going to the moon is that we are now more safety-conscious, or risk-averse. ...
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That may very well be true, but my point is not about a specific goal like the Moon. My point is that I think the US lacks both the quantity of talent it used to have and also, more importantly, its population as a whole lacks the will to excel and innovate (and things like iphones do not count!).

Andre Noble said:
The Cold War industry. Clearly. Now what if instead all that film and technology and money went to photographing families and children across theUSA and making an archive of it?
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That's a false dichotomy. People individually can choose to photograph their families, friends, and total strangers. Photographic organizations can be formed by free will and choice and they can choose to archive as they wish. Government mandate is not needed. The fact remains that war and the quest for political advantage is a significant aspect in the development and improvement of technology.
 
Theo... you need to watch the news more! While there has been a major decline in manufacturing capability, the will to excel and innovate and demonstrate engineering "prowess" is demonstrated near daily. Much you can see; much you can't see, but if you think about it you'll realize that your somewhat nearsighted.
 
Andre Noble said:
The Cold War industry. Clearly. Now what if instead all that film and technology and money went to photographing families and children across theUSA and making an archive of it?
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A total non sequitur. One is not ipso facto replaced by the other.
 

No, it does not have to do with risk aversion. It has to do with the return on investment. The space race and landing a man on the Moon were driven by the Cold War. Once the Moon landing occurred, people realized that the was no great advantage to send people to do space exploration when robots in the form of spacecraft [Viking, Voyager, Galileo] could do a better job collecting science at a much lower cost.
 
BrianShaw said:
Theo... you need to watch the news more! While there has been a major decline in manufacturing capability, the will to excel and innovate and demonstrate engineering "prowess" is demonstrated near daily. ...
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Every day I read major American news outlets, plus BBC, and Sydney Morning Herald. Less often Russian, Arabic, or Hungarian news - mostly for local content.

I also observe what's happening in the tech fields, as I'm an engineer. I'm not encouraged.

I hope you're right. Time will tell.
 
As is Theo, I am a little concerned with things as they are today. Of course, so has every preceeding generation I suppose.

The thing that is a little different today is that children have so many "passive" outlets for entertainment such as video games, television ad nauseum, music from hell, music videos approaching porn, social media, etc. etc. that they don't seem to be able to think creatively. They don't seem to have a hunger for knowledge, only for entertainment.

My sample size is admittedly small and would not have any form of statistical validity.

I received my copy of The Theory of the Photographic Process by T. H. James today and perused it. It took me back 50 years to Georgia Tech and classes in organic and inorganic chemistry, thermodynamics, physics, and mechanics of deformable bodies, not to mention three years of advanced mathematics. Wow. I wonder now if I could survive that process again!? It did stir a question in my mind, as to how many of our American children are going to choose a path in science and engineering???? Look at the things that are competing now for their attention. I am beginning to understand the vitritude with which some in other countries view America. Do they see us as only desiring more money, newer cars, greater power, more entertainment, etc. etc. while they are still living in the stone age?

Oh well, I could say more, but I must save some time to check eBay for some new large format toys. Oops..........I mean, I have to save some time to think of ways to end war, ignorance, pestilence, and famine.
 

Yes, I have seen exactly that. Well stated.
 
I see and experience a different world. Sure, there is greed and laziness and gluttony. But I see kids from elementary through high school in STEM education, and kids doing meaningful science fair projects, and kids in after-school competitive robotics. I see kids of all races and nationalities graduating with engineering degrees from American universities and service academies. I see kids doing good as much as I see the waste of human lives. The world isn't perfect, but there is a lot of goodness if one looks and experiences the good parts. I even see kids using their online and computer gaming skills for educational purposes and skill building in addition to just entertainment. Sure, some kids only online experience is Facebook and snapchat, but they aren't the only kids out there. The world is a lot different from when we were kids...

I see this in the USA, and I know for a fact I'm not the only one who sees what I'm seeing.
 
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And to bring it back to photography. I was at the Los Angeles County Fair over he weekend when two young Hispanic-looking boys leaned over the counter of the BBQ stand they were working And asked, "Excuse me sir, but is that a film camera?" I was shooting with a Nikon 35mm. They noticed not just the camera but the yellow filter and knew I was shooting B&W. Not just nice kids, but smart kids too!
 
BrianShaw said:
... They noticed not just the camera but the yellow filter and knew I was shooting B&W. Not just nice kids, but smart kids too!
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Ok, that is cool.
 
Hey Brian. That's great you are seeing young people in those positive pursuits. I know they they are out there somewhere, they just don't seem to be in the majority in South Carolina. I'm not sure where SC is in the quality of education ranking, but it isn't in the top ten!!! But, then again, it has been said that one should not expect a lot from the state that started the Civil War!

May we all live in the present moment while being mindful. And enjoying the magic that is analogue photography.
 

I taught Electrical Engineering and Computer Science as a professor for a decade, I saw that those people who are interested in engineering would do what is necessary to be an engineer and those who do not have the interest will never bother to learn the subjects.
 
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