Pretty cool interview. My dad actually worked on the optics for the Hexagon. For years he couldn't talk about it. I only found out once the program was declassified.
This interview featuring Mr Pressel is fascinating and the technology described is fantastic. When I was in the 8th grade in Rochester, New York (1960-61) I walked past Kodak's Hawkeye Works building on the way to school. That building is the place where Kodak developed the film retrieved from the earliest Corona satellites. I think the first development of film was around the time I was walking past that building. That's my "spy satellite connection." :-)
I worked with KH8 and KH9 products between 1979 and 1984. I always wondered why hexagon was called “big bird” until fairly recently when I saw one in the museum. It’s big and yellow.
Thank you Mr Pressel for creating such a great machine. I worked with the products of this system when I was in the IC. Looking forward to seeing it in person in Ohio.
It's good the book was written but Phil is really milking this one! Itek's Corona was the trailblazer. Itek then had some disagreements with the new NRO & CIA so they ño bid & basically gave the job to PE.
How do we know the Russians didn't actually capture the film canister that was lost for months? It seems to me like plenty of time for them to collect it, gather data from it, then return it in small pieces. If it hadn't disintegrated it seems like there might be forensic clues it had been tampered with.
because, C-130 Hercules was always occupied by a strike group and as soon as there was no successful capture the strike group would've remained in the area of impact of the cannister till retrieval The soviets did the same thing....the most famous of which is when one of their submarines sank and they didn't know exactly where...so they trolled the areas where they thought it was with their strike group...They couldn't find it...so they left...assuming if they couldn't even find it...no chance we (US) would be able to find it... but they were wrong lol look up *Glomar Explorer* for an incredible story
Pretty cool interview. My dad actually worked on the optics for the Hexagon. For years he couldn't talk about it. I only found out once the program was declassified.
This interview featuring Mr Pressel is fascinating and the technology described is fantastic. When I was in the 8th grade in Rochester, New York (1960-61) I walked past Kodak's Hawkeye Works building on the way to school. That building is the place where Kodak developed the film retrieved from the earliest Corona satellites. I think the first development of film was around the time I was walking past that building. That's my "spy satellite connection." :-)
Best wishes to Phil and his buddies who developed this satellite and all of its incredible details.
I worked with KH8 and KH9 products between 1979 and 1984. I always wondered why hexagon was called “big bird” until fairly recently when I saw one in the museum. It’s big and yellow.
Thank you Mr Pressel for creating such a great machine. I worked with the products of this system when I was in the IC. Looking forward to seeing it in person in Ohio.
The book is an excellent read. I highly recommend it!
Highly enjoyable. Maybe one day swcret programs from the 80's will be declassified soon
The National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, OH, has one on display.
Thank you!
Fascinating stuff, thanks for posting
Very good interview, you could feel the passion as the author talked of the challenges they faced.
Danbury built spy space probe. Awesome.
Good thing these brains worked for our government👍
I'm assuming the project was named hexagon based on the configuration of the brushless dc motor coils?
Three phases results in 6 poles - maybe so.
Respect.
The Reason Technology is Classified is the Insecure Don't want Someone else to Beat them to the Final Product .
You're insane, aren't you?
30 miles of film.
30
fricken
_miles._
big bird9
It's good the book was written but Phil is really milking this one! Itek's Corona was the trailblazer. Itek then had some disagreements with the new NRO & CIA so they ño bid & basically gave the job to PE.
how much money cost benefit or stolen plans of spys a ci a mole kgb
How do we know the Russians didn't actually capture the film canister that was lost for months? It seems to me like plenty of time for them to collect it, gather data from it, then return it in small pieces. If it hadn't disintegrated it seems like there might be forensic clues it had been tampered with.
because, C-130 Hercules was always occupied by a strike group and as soon as there was no successful capture the strike group would've remained in the area of impact of the cannister till retrieval
The soviets did the same thing....the most famous of which is when one of their submarines sank and they didn't know exactly where...so they trolled the areas where they thought it was with their strike group...They couldn't find it...so they left...assuming if they couldn't even find it...no chance we (US) would be able to find it...
but they were wrong lol look up *Glomar Explorer* for an incredible story