Jumpseat (satellite)

Jumpseat, also known as AFP-711^[1] is reportedly a code name for a class of SIGINT reconnaissance satellites operated by the National Reconnaissance Office for the United States Air Force in the 1970s and 1980s. The program is classified, and much of the information in the open is speculative.

It is believed that six Jumpseat satellites were successfully launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on Titan IIIB launch vehicles with Agena D boosters between 21 March 1971 and 31 July 1983.

The 700-kg Jumpseat satellites were manufactured by Hughes Aircraft and were inserted into highly elliptical Molniya orbits with an inclination of 63 degrees and orbital periods of close to 12 hours. These were in similar orbits to the Satellite Data System relay satellites.

The successors to the Jumpseat series are the Trumpet satellites.

Satellites

Name	COSPAR ID SATCAT №	Launch date (UTC)	Launch vehicle	Launch site	Orbit	Remarks
OPS 4788	1971-021A 05053	21 March 1971 03:45	Titan III(33)B	VAFB SLC-4W
OPS 1844	N/A	16 February 1972 09:59	Titan III(33)B	VAFB SLC-4W	N/A	Failed to achieve orbit
OPS 7724	1973-056A 06791	21 August 1973 16:07	Titan III(33)B	VAFB SLC-4W
OPS 2439	1975-017A 07687	10 March 1975 04:41	Titan III(34)B	VAFB SLC-4W
OPS 6031	1978-021A 10688	25 February 1978 05:00	Titan III(34)B	VAFB SLC-4W
OPS 7225	1981-038A 12418	24 April 1981 21:32	Titan III(34)B	VAFB SLC-4W
OPS 7304	1983-078A 14237	31 July 1983 15:41	Titan III(34)B	VAFB SLC-4W

References

Richelson, Jeffrey T. ed. U.S. Military Uses of Space, 1945-1991 Vol 1, Guide. National Security Archive. 1991.

External links

Entry at astronautix.com
Entry at Gunter's space page
Log of satellite launches from Jonathan's Space Report
JUMPSEAT - SIGINT Spacecraft Series (NRO/USAF/ NSA - Program AFP-711) at GlobalSecurity.org

Jumpseat and Trumpet satellites

Jumpseat	OPS 4788 OPS 1844 OPS 7724 OPS 2439 OPS 6031 OPS 7225 OPS 7304

Trumpet	USA-103 USA-112 USA-136

"Improved Trumpet"	USA-184 USA-200

Fourth Generation	NROL-35

TWINS SBIRS-HEO

United States reconnaissance satellites

IMINT

Photographic	KH-1 Corona KH-2 Corona KH-3 Corona KH-4A Corona KH-4B Corona KH-5 Argon KH-6 Lanyard KH-7 Gambit KH-8 Gambit 3 KH-9 Hexagon KH-10 Dorian

Electro-optical	Samos KH-11 Kennan Misty Enhanced Imaging System

Synthetic aperture radar	Quill Lacrosse FIA

Infrared

SIGINT

Low Earth orbit	GRAB Poppy White Cloud Samos-F

Highly elliptical orbit	Jumpseat Trumpet

Geosynchronous Earth orbit	Canyon Magnum Mentor Mercury Rhyolite/Aquacade Vortex

MASINT

Primary mission	FORTE GPS DMSP Vela

Secondary mission	MIDAS DSP SBIRS STSS

Research and
development

Primary mission	MiTEx

Secondary mission

Unknown

USA number	USA-193

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