The Hexagon story
By: [F.C.E. Oder, J.C. Fitzpatrick, & P.E. Worthman]
Contributors: Fitzpatrick, J. C. (James C.); Worthman, P. E. (Paul E.); Center for the Study of National Reconnaissance (U.S.)
Publisher: Center for the Study of National Reconnaissance
Published: 2012
Place of publication: Chantilly, VA
Language: eng
Number of pages: 259
ISBN-13: 9781937219062
Subjects: Reconnaissance aircraft; Cold War; American Artificial satellites; History; Military Astronautics; Space surveillance
Other titles: Center for the Study of National Reconnaissance Classics
Description: The United States developed the Gambit and Hexagon programs to improve the nation's means for peering over the iron curtain that separated western democracies from east European and Asian communist countries. The inability to gain insight into vast "denied areas" required exceptional systems to understand threats posed by US adversaries. Corona was the first imagery satellite system to help see into those areas. Hexagon began as a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) program with the first concepts proposed in 1964. The CIA's primary goal was to develop an imagery system with Corona-like ability to image wide swaths of the earth, but with resolution equivalent to Gambit. Such a system would afford the United States even greater advantages monitoring the arms race that had developed with the nation's adversaries. The system that became Hexagon faced three major challenges. The first was development of the technology, which was eventually overcome by the Itek and Perkin-Elmer Corporations. The second was bureaucratic, deciding how the CIA and Air Force would cooperate in building such a system because they each had strengths and weaknesses in the development of national reconnaissance systems. The third challenge was to secure the resources that were required to build the most complicated and largest reconnaissance satellites at the time. By 1971, the NRO overcame the challenges to successfully launch the Hexagon satellite and fulfill, or even exceed, expectations for unparalleled insight into capabilities of US adversaries.
Notes: "April 2012."

Shipping list no.: 2012-0358-P.

Includes bibliographical references and index.