Another wonderful article from The Space Review, this piece talks about Lockheed’s proposal to use the A-12 as a satellite launcher.
U.S.Air Force, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
A solid rocket was to be attached to the A-12, on the tip of the rocket is a recoverable camera house in the nose cone.
Two configurations were proposed, one with the rocket on the back of the A-12 and the other was underneath the fuselage.
Both proposed solutions presented their own problems and the idea was never picked up by the government.
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Very interesting article but there may be more of the story that may not be shared at all. Remember they were going to use a derivative of the Polaris A-3 submarine launched ballistic missile as part of the mission. Sounds like it went between the Air Force and CIA only to involve the State Department and White House. What of concern was brought up about the possibility this would cause confusion in Russia about exactly what payload the Polaris A-3 was carrying. It is possible President Kennedy ordered this project to be terminated.
In 1984, Air Force wanted Congress to authorize full funding of the ASAT missile which would be attached to F-15 Eagles who would zoom up to release an ASAT towards a hostile satellite from a hostile nation. Many Congressmen had concerns about this blinding the Russians if ASATs destroyed many Russian satellites and leaving them in the dark and unable to see what was happening in space, this triggering a nuclear war between the superpowers. I know the US was the only nation developing an ASAT system and the Russians and Chinese were nowhere ready to catch up with us. Thus, Congress declined to fund ASAT and killed the program.
Ironically, both Russia and China have developed ASAT systems like we did and we don’t have an ASAT system.