Lockheed A-12 as a Sat lofter

[marathag]

During the A-12 Oxcart program development, Lockheed and various Intelligence Agencies
looked into using the new Aircraft to put small spysats in orbit, via a belly launched Polaris missile

Not carried on with, as the NRO had their new Keyhole spysats in the works that could send back
images by datalink, rather than the above that would have dropped film cartridges like the Corona
spysats. Interestingly, this was thought belly to be a more stable launch method that wasn't used
for the later Tagboard/D-21 drone program that used the Dorsal for carrying, that had all kinds
of issues with separation

PoD, this gets put into operation. Effects later for the availability of a low cost sat lofter for Satellites under 54" in diameter after the Cold War ends?

Earlier Iridium style satellite Network?

 

[jsb]

During the A-12 Oxcart program development, Lockheed and various Intelligence Agencies
looked into using the new Aircraft to put small spysats in orbit, via a belly launched Polaris missile

How much extra payload to LEO does a A12 give over a B52 lunch platform, is it worth the extra coast?

 

[kernals12]

Getting the satellite to survive being carried at that speed with all the heat would be a nightmare.

 

[marathag]

Getting the satellite to survive being carried at that speed with all the heat would be a nightmare.

Thermal load at Mach 3 at 80,000 is nothing compared to orbital insertion

 

[marathag]

How much extra payload to LEO does a A12 give over a B52 lunch platform, is it worth the extra coast?

While Pegasus was a bit heavier than a Polaris, never saw a weight for what the planned Recon Sat would weigh

 

[jsb]

While Pegasus was a bit heavier than a Polaris, never saw a weight for what the planned Recon Sat would weigh

I was more thinking that the extra hight and speed is not that significant and adds a huge cost extra over a slightly larger rocket on a cheap B52?

LEO needs what 9.4-7.8 km/s ish?
A12 top speed without payload is something like 3,529 km/h or 0.98 Km/s ?

 

[marathag]

I was more thinking that the extra hight and speed is not that significant and adds a huge cost extra over a slightly larger rocket on a cheap B52?

LEO needs what 9.4-7.8 km/s ish?
A12 top speed without payload is something like 3,529 km/h or 0.98 Km/s ?

I think the advantage is the extra 40,000 higher being in the thinner air, and get you to use a more efficient thrust chamber.
Air is almost 7x as dense at B-52 altitude from A-12 altitude

 

[Orcbuster]

The added speed is sort of irrelevant as the A-12 would be unlikely to even reach mach 1 with that payload. The key here is altitude.

Altitude makes the rocket a lot more efficient as it allows different and more efficient nozzle designs which gives the rocket a significantly higher specific impulse in addition to the fact that most rockets in general are more efficient at higher altitudes.

Issue here is if the A-12s max flight ceiling with the polaris payload would be any different from say a B-52 with a polaris.

 

[marathag]

The added speed is sort of irrelevant as the A-12 would be unlikely to even reach mach 1 with that payload. The key here is altitude.

Altitude makes the rocket a lot more efficient as it allows different and more efficient nozzle designs which gives the rocket a significantly higher specific impulse in addition to the fact that most rockets in general are more efficient at higher altitudes.

Issue here is if the A-12s max flight ceiling with the polaris payload would be any different from say a B-52 with a polaris.

The A-12 was set to carry 68,000 pounds of fuel.
Since they aren't carrying a fuel load to get to the USSR, they can take off light fuel, get to 80,000, release, and then land from the 25,000 pounds of fuel aboard.

For drag, the 11,000 pound D-21 Drone didn't effect top speed or altitude, or back to the earlier B-58 Hustler and its Weapon/Fuel Pod