Hexagon: Spies in the Sky - Reconnaissance Technology during the Cold War

During the Cold War, the US evolved reconnaissance technology, resulting in today’s real-time video capabilities. Initially, film was used in satellites to monitor treaty compliance and intelligence gathering of the Soviet Union and other “denied areas.” The vehicle, HEXAGON, was 60-feet long and took pictures from 100 miles up. The program was urgent and required cooperation between the CIA and the Air Force, guided by the National Reconnaissance Office. This unclassified briefing by someone “who was there,” gives a first-person historical look at how high-resolution images were not only taken, but returned via parachute to be caught in mid-air. Essential to success was the work of the launch team, command & control, tracking stations and the aircrews who made the daring catches of the film buckets. This program was a critical Cold War asset.

Speaker: Ricky Deutsch (see weblink for biography)