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Further Reading

FIA RECSAT Concept

Cancelled FIA - RECSAT 

Conceptual Spacecraft

Design

By © Charles P. Vick 2005-7 All Rights Reserved

04-12-07 — 12-23-07

Disclaimer

The opinions and evaluations stated here in are only the author’s and cannot be construed to reflect those of any Government agency, company, institute or association. It is based on public information, circumstantial evidence, Vendor documents, informed speculation, and declassified U.S. intelligence community documents, official US government documents and histories, oral histories, interviews and reverse engineering analysis. As with all data regarding the intelligence space programs of the US intelligence community, this analysis is subject to revision--and represents a work in progress.

FIA - RECSAT - New Electro-Optical IMINT Satellite Concept Hardware Compromise

Boeing Concept:

On the one hand we have the original FIA, RECSAT design concept of Boeing now cancelled that can be roughly defined. The one RECSAT-FIA design concept in all details that has been developed here reflects its present status design heritage up to cancellation. Many of the applicable technologies were displayed in the very successful Boeing Orbital Express spacecraft design details and conceptual architecture. The FIA spacecraft has been in its original concept described as being a family of relatively small spacecraft that finally will make it possible to field a stealth black body like spacecraft so that it could actually perform its undetected imagery mission. It was also to be battle hardened for nuclear war, laser or ASAT attack with the ability to defend itself or go on the offensive based on vendor documents and open source literature. The latest FIA related technology development is reflected in the two spacecraft seen in the Boeing, Orbital Express and Ball aerospace literature brochures for the successful two satellite rendezvous propellant transfer demonstration. Presumably it closely mimics the original FIA spacecraft technology design intent. The fueling operation was to provide for propellant transfer or propellant service module replacement to give the spacecraft high maneuverability to carry out and extend it mission and even upgrade its sub systems modules repeatedly.

Boeing Related Technologies

Boeing & Lockheed Martin Related Technologies

Boeing Delta-4 Shroud Technologies

The spacecraft was expected to be eight sided multi radar deflecting paneled design for stealth purposes as well as being perhaps greater than half the length of a advanced Crystal with odd shaped radar deflecting solar arrays. The bottom line is the FIA’s optical imaging IMINT spacecraft went from bug automobile size to larger than SUV size approaching tractor trailer eighteen wheeler size before Lockheed received it renewal contract. This was due to the optical physics and nuclear, laser, ASAT, stealth, thermal control and general spacecraft battle hardening technology requirements.  Some are still of the opinion that FIA misty follow-on was to be trunk of a large car size but it in fact grew vastly larger than that and the concept died real fast due to the optics issues. This by definition is not Misty follow-on as it was understood but is by definition the FIA spacecraft’s of Boeing that may also resemble some of the MicroSat systems design but more stealthier and battle hardened etc. Alternatively they could have used the one developed by Boeing as a sub contract. The “S” like shaped solar arrays is probable Lockheed from the Boeing project efforts on the X-37 program or from the Orbital Express program. This has presented two alternative solar array designs. Boeing did not make the mistake of TFX to try and do both FIA programs with a common system one fits all approach, Rather they decided to break it up between two divisions of Boeing working to their strengths with one actually successful while the IMINT division lost the effort and that should have been understood.

FIA, RECSAT Problems According to the New York Times: (1, 8)

1. Problem - Flawed Gyro-dynes from the manufacturer used for precise orientation control

2. Problem - Do not use Tin on the spacecraft or its systems

3. Problem - Combining close-up & wide field of view imagery capability in the same system

Never attempted successfully before became nearly impossible to accomplish

4. Problem - Control systems integrated circuitry defects and cabling defects

5. Problem – Lockheed Martin reopened the Advanced Crystal Production line with updates

The Follow-on Advanced Crystal was scheduled for launch in 2009 but has now slipped to 2010.

6. Problem - Three billion over budget and behind schedule with a far larger projected budge

than could or would be tolerated in representative government

Speculating on the Boeing Bus, Solar Arrays and External Body Stealth Design for FIA

Close study of the FIA related technology development is reflected in the two spacecraft seen in the Boeing, Orbital Express and Ball aerospace literature brochures for the successful two satellite rendezvous propellant transfer demonstration. The FIA RECSAT bus from an external appearance appears to very closely resemble the Bus-1 design of Lockheed Martin surrounded by a stealth eight sided shell radar evasive panels but it size grew from a smaller design of similar size and characteristics to the equivalent of the Bus-1 size similar to those used on the Advanced Crystal and apparently the Derivation Misty design. Boeing originally developed a Bus design concept for application to the ISS based on the ISS Node-X, (Ref. Node-X Design Concept - Alternate propulsion module Assessment team-NASA) (dry Node-X = 17,967.1 lbs, with its propulsion elements dry equaling 11,301.4 lbs wet 18,100.6 lbs) Alternate propulsion module or service module which was a reverse engineering design to that adapt to ISS for adaptation for shuttle flight that in many respects resembled the Lockheed Martin Bus-1 hardware. The new design developed by Boeing designed out the Shuttle related Trunnion’s for shuttle Node-X launch to a self supporting bus. This also implies that the six propellant tanks of the original Bus-1 design was changed to four tanks with a propellant mass/volume increase as seem in the MSFC ISS Node-X designs which seems very similar to the Bus-1 design. This bus supports both the instrument section and the telescope without fairing or Titan Payload Adapter very different from the previous Advanced Crystal, & Misty-1 design.

Lockheed is the curved solar array vendor as seen in the Lockheed solar array vendor document (Ref. Lockheed Missile & Space Company Solar Arrays – Fact sheets 10-85) and from both the President G. W. Bush (Senior) NARA Presidential Library Crystal RECSAT model display. These curved faceted solar arrays are made of battle hardened Gallium Arsenate and are designed to be folded and wrapped around the telescope barrel during launch. The radiator paned which are deployed with the solar arrays are designed to be launched folded around the Bus were probably developed by Boeing Hughes division. Both the Bus and Telescope optical system of the entire spacecraft is covered by radar evasive faceted stealth material panels on eight sides.

FIA-RECSAT Conceptual Study Sketch

References:

1. Philip Taubman, In Death of Spy Satellite Program, Lofty Plans and Unrealistic Bids, The New York Times, November 11, 2007 , p. 1, 20, & 21.

8. http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/systems/fia.htm , Future Imagery Architecture [FIA]