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Hexagon

SE
commercialFounded 1893
Sweden
Admin Edit

All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.

HEXAGON was originally planned to launch in 1970 but was delayed by a year due to technical problems.

Mentioned as: HexagonNarrative GeneralNov 3, 2025Live, it’s the Big Bird! The HEXAGON satellite and near-real-time reconnaissance

Film from HEXAGON was transported to Eastman Kodak in Rochester, New York for development and then sent to Washington, DC for analysis.

Mentioned as: hexagonNarrative GeneralNov 3, 2025Live, it’s the Big Bird! The HEXAGON satellite and near-real-time reconnaissance

The third Kirov was photographed under construction by HEXAGON reconnaissance satellites in July 1984.

Mentioned as: HexagonNarrative GeneralSep 29, 2025Last of the dinosaurs: Admiral Nakhimov sails again under satellite eyes

The HEXAGON reconnaissance satellite was concealed under the nose fairing of the Titan IIID.

Mentioned as: HexagonNarrative GeneralSep 22, 2025Shhhhhh!!! Pay no attention to the Big Bird…

HEXAGON was the most complex mechanical device ever flown in space.

Mentioned as: HexagonNarrative GeneralSep 22, 2025Shhhhhh!!! Pay no attention to the Big Bird…

Phillip Klass wrote an article in August 1971 incorrectly claiming that HEXAGON had both film and readout capability.

Mentioned as: HexagonNarrative GeneralSep 22, 2025Shhhhhh!!! Pay no attention to the Big Bird…

HEXAGON had two powerful cameras that produced long and thin images covering vast amounts of territory.

Mentioned as: HexagonNarrative GeneralSep 22, 2025Shhhhhh!!! Pay no attention to the Big Bird…

The HEXAGON program was declassified in 2011, with new details continuing to be declassified.

Mentioned as: HexagonNarrative GeneralSep 22, 2025Shhhhhh!!! Pay no attention to the Big Bird…

The Air Force launched HEXAGON Mission 1208 from Vandenberg Air Force Base on April 10, 1974.

Mentioned as: HexagonNarrative GeneralSep 2, 2025Flashpoint Cyprus 1974: Cold War satellite reconnaissance and peripheral wars

The United States Air Force launched HEXAGON Mission 1208 from Vandenberg Air Force Base on April 10, 1974.

Mentioned as: HexagonOrg RelationshipSep 2, 2025Flashpoint Cyprus 1974: Cold War satellite reconnaissance and peripheral wars

Film from HEXAGON and GAMBIT missions was recovered over the North Pacific Ocean, transported to Hawaii, then California, then Rochester, New York, for processing, and then delivered to Washington, DC for interpretation.

Mentioned as: HEXAGONOrg RelationshipSep 2, 2025Flashpoint Cyprus 1974: Cold War satellite reconnaissance and peripheral wars

The HEXAGON reconnaissance satellite photographed Nicosia Airport on July 24, 1974.

Mentioned as: HexagonNarrative GeneralSep 2, 2025Flashpoint Cyprus 1974: Cold War satellite reconnaissance and peripheral wars

The HEXAGON reconnaissance satellite photographed the landing force at Kyrenia on July 20, 1974.

Mentioned as: HexagonNarrative GeneralSep 2, 2025Flashpoint Cyprus 1974: Cold War satellite reconnaissance and peripheral wars

The HEXAGON reconnaissance satellite flew over Cyprus on July 20, 1974, and photographed the landing force.

Mentioned as: HexagonNarrative GeneralSep 2, 2025Flashpoint Cyprus 1974: Cold War satellite reconnaissance and peripheral wars

GAMBIT satellites used a single high-resolution camera that photographed a much smaller area than HEXAGON but provided detail sufficient to identify specific vehicle and equipment types.

Mentioned as: HexagonNarrative GeneralSep 2, 2025Flashpoint Cyprus 1974: Cold War satellite reconnaissance and peripheral wars

GAMBIT operated from 1963 to 1984 and HEXAGON operated from 1971 to 1986.

Mentioned as: HexagonNarrative GeneralJun 30, 2025Guardians on the West Coast: The Space and Missile Technology Center and Vandenberg museum

The last HEXAGON satellite exploded at Vandenberg Air Force Base on 18 April 1986.

Mentioned as: HEXAGONTechnical ProductJun 9, 2025The long road to near-real-time satellite reconnaissance: a chronology

URSALA satellites were deployed from HEXAGON photo-reconnaissance satellites during the 1970s.

Mentioned as: HexagonNarrative GeneralMar 10, 2025Stars in the sky: The top secret URSALA, RAQUEL, and FARRAH satellites from the 1970s to the 21st century

The HEXAGON reconnaissance satellite had two powerful cameras and used film stored in reentry vehicles.

Mentioned as: HexagonNarrative GeneralNov 4, 2024Satellite reconnaissance and the Falklands War

The HEXAGON satellite was capable of capturing images at a medium resolution of approximately 30 to 90 centimeters.

Mentioned as: HexagonNarrative GeneralNov 4, 2024Satellite reconnaissance and the Falklands War
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