# KH-10 Dorian

> cancelled reconnaissance system on the Manned Orbiting Laboratory

**Wikidata**: [Q6329962](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6329962)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KH-10_Dorian)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/kh-10-dorian

## Summary
KH-10 Dorian (also called Keyhole 10 or DORIAN) is a cancelled United States Air Force reconnaissance system that was to operate as part of the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL). It is classified as a spacecraft model and an abandoned project, with Douglas as general contractor and PerkinElmer as a subcontractor for the payload.

## Key Facts
- KH-10 Dorian is a cancelled reconnaissance system intended for the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL).  
- The program was operated by the United States Air Force.  
- KH-10 Dorian is described as an instance of a spacecraft model and an abandoned project.  
- The system is a subclass of reconnaissance satellite (satellites that covertly collect intelligence or military data).  
- Primary contractor: Douglas (listed as general contractor).  
- Payload subcontractor: PerkinElmer (listed as subcontractor, applies to the payload).  
- Aliases include "Keyhole 10" and "DORIAN."  
- Country of origin: United States.  
- Wikimedia Commons image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Dorian_3.jpg  
- Common name/title used on Wikipedia: "KH-10 Dorian."

## FAQs
### Q: What is KH-10 Dorian?
A: KH-10 Dorian is a cancelled United States Air Force reconnaissance system that was planned to fly as part of the Manned Orbiting Laboratory. It is identified as a spacecraft model and an abandoned project.

### Q: Was KH-10 Dorian ever operated in orbit?
A: No. KH-10 Dorian is described as a cancelled system and part of the cancelled Manned Orbiting Laboratory program, indicating it did not enter operational service.

### Q: Who built KH-10 Dorian?
A: The general contractor listed is Douglas. PerkinElmer is listed as a subcontractor responsible for the payload.

### Q: What type of spacecraft was KH-10 Dorian intended to be?
A: It was intended to be a reconnaissance satellite system — a spacecraft designed to collect intelligence or military data covertly.

## Why It Matters
KH-10 Dorian represents a concrete example of a United States Air Force attempt to field a crewed-orbit reconnaissance capability through the Manned Orbiting Laboratory program. Although the program and its KH-10 system were cancelled, the entry documents the involvement of major aerospace contractors (Douglas as general contractor and PerkinElmer for the payload) and clarifies the classification of the hardware as a spacecraft model and abandoned project. For researchers of military space programs, KH-10 Dorian is relevant as part of the broader historical record of U.S. reconnaissance efforts and program decisions that affected how the Air Force pursued space-based intelligence collection. The program’s cancellation is also of interest when tracing contractor roles, planned payload responsibilities, and U.S. government choices about crewed versus uncrewed reconnaissance architectures.

## Notable For
- Being the designated reconnaissance system for the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL).  
- Explicitly identified as an abandoned project and spacecraft model rather than an operational satellite.  
- Association with major contractors: Douglas as general contractor and PerkinElmer as payload subcontractor.  
- Known by multiple aliases: "KH-10 Dorian," "Keyhole 10," and "DORIAN."  
- Operated and originated under the authority of the United States Air Force and the United States.

## Body
### Overview
- KH-10 Dorian is defined in sources as a cancelled reconnaissance system.  
- It was intended to operate as part of the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL), a cancelled United States Air Force space station program.  
- The program is cataloged as a spacecraft model and an abandoned project.

### Role and Classification
- Class: reconnaissance satellite (satellite that covertly collects data for intelligence or military applications).  
- Instance_of: spacecraft model; abandoned project.  
- Subclass_of: reconnaissance satellite.  
- Operator: United States Air Force.  
- Country_of_origin: United States.

### Contractors and Manufacturing
- General contractor: Douglas (listed as general contractor in available structured properties).  
- Payload subcontractor: PerkinElmer (listed as subcontractor; qualifier indicates applies to the payload).  
- References for contractor attributions are cited in the structured properties.

### Operational Status
- Status: Cancelled.  
- Relationship to MOL: Part of / intended to operate aboard the Manned Orbiting Laboratory, which itself was a cancelled USAF space station program.

### Identifiers and Media
- Aliases: "Keyhole 10" and "DORIAN."  
- Wikipedia title: "KH-10 Dorian."  
- Commons category: KH-10 DORIAN.  
- Representative image URL: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Dorian_3.jpg

### Relationship to Other Entities
- Parent program: Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL).  
- Class relationship: part of the broader class of reconnaissance satellites used for intelligence and military applications.

## References

1. [Source](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/kh-10_mol.htm)