HEXAGON back in the news

I found this story on a site called QUARTZ. HEXAGON back in the news. Read it then we’ll discuss.

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An experimental satellite that launched in 1974 disappeared from ground-based sensors in the 1990s, only to be found again this week. Some defunct satellites or debris can often go missing for years, presenting hazards within an increasingly crowded Earth orbit. But, how exactly do objects disappear in space?

The Infra-Red Calibration Balloon (S73-7) satellite was part of the United States Air Force’s Space Test Program. After launching on April 10, 1974, a large reconnaissance satellite, called KH-9 Hexagon, ejected the 26-inch-wide (66-centimeter-wide) satellite, boosting it to a 500 mile (800 kilometers) circular orbit.

The story even adds a much-seen drawing of HEXAGON. Adds credibilty???

The tiny satellite was supposed to inflate in orbit and serve as a calibration target for remote sensing equipment. Its deployment, however, failed, and it became another piece of space junk. When looking over the satellite’s archival data, Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, found that it had gone missing once before, with radars tracking it in the 1970s before it disappeared, and then again in the 1990s before it disappeared once more.

McDowell said the S73-7 satellite has been rediscovered after being untracked for 25 years. New TLEs for object 7244 started appearing on Apr 25. He boasts: Congrats to whichever @18thSDS analyst made the identification.

Well, let’s see. KH-9 didn’t fly at 500 miles up. The missions were centred around 80-100 miles up…and any diversion would be dumb and a waste of expendables for this ho-hum “mission.” Archival tracking data could verify. Apogee was way less than that….and how could it propel a package 26-inches wide without a propulsion/guidance system? With a balloon inside? Hmmm.

This HEXAGON mission had NORAD ID # 7244. International designation 1974-020-B. A huge chance of confusion with 27,000 pices of debris bigger than 4” still in orbit.

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So what are your comments?? You think this is a true occurance??

This HEXAGON blog comes to an end-NOT!! See next entry

UPDATE - we will continue the blog for another year!! The blog got a reprive from Phil's wife, Pat. She’s covering the fees. I've tried to create a blog to get the word out - but it won’t publish it! ?? ..so we will be around for another year. Due to the way Squarespace works…you will see that the replies to your comments will still say they are from Phil. It’s really me. :>) ….but please continue to read these and comment, so I know you’re out there. - Ricky Deutsch

Since Phil Pressel passed away, I’ve been attempting to keep his blog active. However, I’ve seen very few readers. This is understandable as many others from the “good old days” have also died. The website account with Squarespace has been kept alive by his wife, Pat. However, the fees for another year are due April 6, and with the low participation and costs, the site will fade away.

HEXAGON is still alive for many of us. The development unit is at the National Museum of the Air Force Museum in Dayton, OH. I have been working with the NRO to secure a home for a second one that has been in storage. They want it on the west coast, but there are few options due to its size and security. Also, the alumni club of the SAFSP (Secretary of the Air Force Special Projects) is raising funds to construct a memorial at the museum to let the public know about CORONA, GAMBIT AND HEXAGON – and the men & women who kept it flying.

As we sign off, a tip of the hat to all of you – you dun gude! If you have comments before the curtain closes, I’ll read them and get back to you (leave your email address).

Over & Out.

Ricky Deutsch, Former Captain, USAF, Satellite Test Center, Sunnyvale AFS, CA, Hexagon Command Generation

HEXAGON TALK

I’ll be giving my Spies in the Sky-Reconnaissance Technology During the Cold War talk at the former Moffett Naval Air Station Museum on March 27, 2024 at high noon. Everyone is invited. The museum is near Hwy 101 & Moffett Blvd. - Next to NASA Ames. You only need a driver license to get on the base (US Citizen) - then ask where the museum is. It’s across from the front of the Big Hanger #1. It’s being re-skined.

—Rick Deutsch

From the Archives: Edward Aldridge, NRO Director, speech

On July 12, 1983, the day the 20th Hexagon Sensor Subsystem was shipped from Perkin-Elmer to the west coast, The Honorable Edward C. Aldridge, Under Secretary of the Air Force, Director National Reconnaissance Office, addressed a large group of Perkin-Elmer people who had participated in the design and manufacture of the Sensor Subsystem. A part of his speech follows.

"In June of 1971, the first of a new breed of satellite reconnaissance systems was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base and ushered in a new age in terms of satellite photography. The program success has continued almost  unabated and permits us to talk in glowing terms of performance characteristics such as: up to seven months on orbit; over 300,000 feet of film (60 miles); total mission area coverage nearly equal to the landmass of the earth. We didn't get to this point by accident; it was achieved through perseverance, technical competence and a lot of hard work. Many of you in the audience, I am sure, can remember the bustle of the initial years. In comparison, today must seem very serene. That initial launch in 1971 was not really the beginning but rather the culmination of a dream. This dream started in 1965 when your company became involved in a competition to build a revolutionary spacecraft capable of handling reconnaissance requirements fostered by the emergence of Russia and China as superpowers. In 1966, Perkin-Elmer was chosen to participate as an associate contractor in what has become one of our most important intelligence programs. It is hard to believe that seventeen years have passed since that date. However, the validity of that initial decision has been confirmed and reconfirmed with the passage of time. The success of the Hexagon Program has established the standard for all future satellite reconnaissance programs to emulate and a goal for our present systems. This success can be measured in many ways. For example, since the first launch in 1971, imaging lifetime has increased over 800 percent; film capacity has increased 50 percent; mission area coverage has increased 100 percent. Even with these impressive facts, it is impossible to measure Hexagon's considerable contribution to our national defense. This importance can be sensed only if we cite examples such as SALT verification, coverage of crisis areas like the Middle East, and terrain mapping for the Cruise Missile."

Rendering of the Hexgon mission

I think you’ll enjoy this video created by an interested private individual. It is the BEST showing of how the Hexagon vehicle operated. It’s by Military History in 1 minute. Check them out - he posted others - the V2 rocket history is great…..and they are indeed only a minute long! I hate interviews, etc. that run an hour…..time is precious and you have to decide what you are going to spend it on  Enjoy…  https://youtu.be/06Ys3THq9WM

Let's keep this KH9 Blog-site going

Friends of Phil: I gave tag-team presentations with Phil on the Hexagon Satellite. In the 70’s I was a Captain at the BLUE CUBE - Sunnyvale AFS, CA. I worked in Command Generation and Operations Director. When I discovered Phil and his presentation of the Optical Bars, I thought it would work best if I did the Command/Control and overview of launch, operations, tracking station interface and recovery —- then Phil could cover the complicated camera system. We did live and Zoom talks to a multitude of audiences.

As I come up with info, I’ll post it here. Please send a comment to let me know you are out there! If you have a story or anecdote, Drop me a comment and I’llget back to you on how to send the text/photos – I’ll then post it.