Hexagon AB is a global industrial technology company with a significant presence in the space industry, focusing on measurement and positioning systems. They provide geospatial tools, software, and services for various applications, including aerospace, defense, and infrastructure planning. Hexagon's technologies have supported space exploration since NASA's early moon landings, and they continue to drive innovation with solutions for manufacturing, autonomous mobility, and digital transformation. Key products include sensors, software, and platforms for geospatial data analysis, with major customers including government organizations and private companies in the aerospace sector.
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AFSPPF's production division had an original negative and duplicate film photo processing facility that handled CORONA, GAMBIT, HEXAGON, U-2, and D-21 TAGBOARD drone missions.
The CORONA, GAMBIT, and HEXAGON spacecraft used film that had to be returned to Earth and processed to reveal intelligence information.
By late 1968, both the HEXAGON and MOL programs were behind schedule and over budget.
The HEXAGON satellite was scheduled to replace CORONA by 1970 or 1971 and was designed for one- to three-foot, or 61-91 centimeter, resolution.
The HEXAGON and GAMBIT imagery satellites and the Program 989 low-orbiting signals intelligence satellites were placed in the least critical category.
The HEXAGON and the KH-11 initially used the Titan 34D launch vehicle with the same diameter shroud.
Twenty KH-9 HEXAGON satellites were launched.
The KH-9 HEXAGON operated from 1971 until 1986.
The KH-9 HEXAGON reconnaissance satellite used film to scan vast areas of the Earth to detect new activities and count weapons systems.
Photographs from Peter Hunter and John Hilliard document over half of the 20 HEXAGON reconnaissance satellites launched between 1971 and 1986.
In the mid-1970s, the National Reconnaissance Office relied on HEXAGON search satellites and GAMBIT imaging systems during its film-return era.
The Wide Area Surveillance Payload effort evolved into DAMON, which would have flown a converted HEXAGON reconnaissance camera in the Space Shuttle bay.
The National Reconnaissance Office decided not to modify the GAMBIT and HEXAGON photo-reconnaissance satellite programs for Space Shuttle flights.
Program 989 electronic intelligence satellites such as URSALA, RAQUEL, and FARRAH needed a new path to orbit after the HEXAGON program ended.
The follow-on GAMBIT and HEXAGON reconnaissance satellite programs were considered for declassification in 1997 but were not declassified until 2011.
Space Armor tiles are hexagon-shaped and designed to protect space assets.
HEXAGON was designed to photograph large areas of the Soviet Union to identify Soviet weapons systems.
The proposed HEXAGON system would have a total operational lifetime of 135 days.
The HEXAGON missions were designed to cover large areas with high-resolution imaging, returning significant intelligence data in a short time.
After 45 days of its primary mission, HEXAGON would be boosted to a higher altitude for 90 days of near-real-time operation.