"In late 1965, the stage was being set for the final study of a new generation photographic satellite. It would be required to provide the resolution of earlier close-look satellites while simultaneously providing the broad area coverage capability of previous search/surveillance systems. On July 21, 1966 proposals for the Hexagon sensor were submitted to the government by both Itek and the Perkin-Elmer Corporation. At 1700 on October 10, Mr. Robert Sorensen, then Senior Vice President, Optical Group, received an important phone call from Mr. John J. Crowley, Director of Special Projects, CIA, -- Perkin-Elmer's proposal was accepted by the government. This is a story of the events that followed."-- from Introduction.

"In late 1965, the stage was being set for the final study of a new generation photographic satellite. It would be required to provide the resolution of earlier close-look satellites while simultaneously providing the broad area coverage capability of previous search/surveillance systems. On July 21, 1966 proposals for the Hexagon sensor were submitted to the government by both Itek and the Perkin-Elmer Corporation. At 1700 on October 10, Mr. Robert Sorensen, then Senior Vice President, Optical Group, received an important phone call from Mr. John J. Crowley, Director of Special Projects, CIA, -- Perkin-Elmer's proposal was accepted by the government. This is a story of the events that followed."--Introduction.

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. Perkin-Elmer took over development of the original camera system that would evolve into the primary camera for the Hexagon program. The panoramic camera system, designated KH-9, would image vast areas of the earth and prove an essential collection asset for verifying the Soviet Union's compliance with arms control treaties as well as address other intelligence questions.

This volume contains introductory information and explains the corporate perspective and technical aspects of the Hexagon program. Reading the technical aspects of the program can help bring and understanding of how valuable the Hexagon Program was to U.S. national security. The history cites examples such as SALT verification, coverage of crisis areas like the Middle East, and terrain mapping for the Cruise Missile.

Presents the recently declassified story of the design, development, production, and operation of the Hexagon KH-9 reconnaissance satellite, that provided photographic intelligence to the United States government, and it stands as one of the most complicated systems ever put into space.

Includes full color and black and white illustrations and photographs. Recently declassified history from the Center for the Study of National Reconnassiance, National Reconnaissance Office. From the preface: "Written in 1982 by Maurice G. Burnett at the request of the Director of the Air Force Program at the NRO, known as Program A. The Hexagon apping camera flew on 12 of the 20 Hexagon missions. It proved to be a remarkably efficient and prodigious producer of imagery for mapping purposes. The mapping camera system was successful by every standard including technical capabilities, reliability, and capacity.Hexagon Mapping Camera Program and Evolution is very unique among the histories of the Gambit and Hexagon programs for two reasons. Burnett provides a comprehensive history of the development of imagery satellites. The volume is very useful for individuals who want to become familiar with the development of these systems as well as the evolution of the Air Force's Program A at the NRO. Second, Burnett also provides a very detailed history of the mapping camera system including technical development as well as the operation of the mapping camera system. Burnett prepared a history that is further strengthened by the visual content he chose to enhance the historical narrative. Hexagon Mapping Camera Program and Evolution includes multiple photographs, engineering drawings, and examples of satellite imagery. This content gives readers, especially those interested in the development of satellite imagery, another reason to read this volume."

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.

Includes full color and black and white illustrations. Recently declassified history from the Center for the Study of National Reconnassiance, National Reconnaissance Office. From the preface: "The Hexagon Story was written in 1988 by Frederic Oder, James Fitzpatrick and Paul Worthman. Carefully doucments the Air Force's management of the Hexagon system once it was turned over to the Air Froce program element at the NRO in 1973 by the CIA program element at the NRO. The authors include a wide range of summary tables and information including details of each launch, companies and personnel involved in the launches, color photographs and illustrations, and the capabilities of the systems. The history is well-documented and sourced."