Author Topic: KH-9 HEXAGON Reconnaissance Satellite (Read 443756 times)

Jim · « **Reply #940 on:** 04/19/2025 01:34 pm »

Lockheed facility top
Onizuka AFB location bottom

WallE · « **Reply #941 on:** 04/19/2025 08:26 pm »

Ok, per the 34D-9 mishap report second stage destruct happened T+16 seconds (the second stage oxidizer tank was ruptured by ISDS destruct of SRM 1) and final loss of T/M from the IUS and HEXAGON occurred at T+20 seconds. I had heard the HEXAGON had its own destruct system. I can't confirm that, but it does seem to make sense given the sequence of flight events listed in the mishap report. Else you'd expect it was still transmitting until impacting the ground.

The mishap report for 34D-7 didn't have much detail for comparison which may be understandable since it only had a minimum of telemetry onboard and as a result the exact cause of the failure wasn't satisfactorily determined.

Blackstar · « **Reply #942 on:** 04/19/2025 10:57 pm »

Quote from: WallE on 04/19/2025 08:26 pm

Ok, per the 34D-9 mishap report second stage destruct happened T+16 seconds (the second stage oxidizer tank was ruptured by ISDS destruct of SRM 1) and final loss of T/M from the IUS and HEXAGON occurred at T+20 seconds. I had heard the HEXAGON had its own destruct system. I can't confirm that, but it does seem to make sense given the sequence of flight events listed in the mishap report. Else you'd expect it was still transmitting until impacting the ground.

I was out at SLC-4 last fall. We climbed up part of the berm outside the pad perimeter, and we also overlooked it from a nearby hill. The person I was with said that they found one of the HEXAGON reentry vehicles in a ravine several thousand feet from the pad.

I would love to have a report on the debris cleanup.

WallE · « **Reply #943 on:** 04/20/2025 01:27 am »

And the fact that we are told the film reels from the satellite were ripped into shreds and scattered all around the launch complex which does suggest it had its own destruct system. The mishap report also noted an unusual roll transient at liftoff but whether that was an early sign of something being amiss or an unrelated event that had nothing to do with the failure is unknown.

Poor quality but I guess this is the recovered Stage 1 oxidizer tank and part of the interstage. Looks to be in pretty good condition, not much obvious damage even though it was apparently ruptured by the SRM 1 ISDS destruct. The fuel tank must have gotten the worst of it since the SRM 2 rupture occurred down there.

Jim · « **Reply #944 on:** 04/20/2025 05:06 pm »

Quote from: WallE on 04/19/2025 08:26 pm

Ok, per the 34D-9 mishap report second stage destruct happened T+16 seconds (the second stage oxidizer tank was ruptured by ISDS destruct of SRM 1) and final loss of T/M from the IUS and HEXAGON occurred at T+20 seconds.

There was no IUS on this flight or any west coast launch

Quote from: WallE on 04/20/2025 01:27 am

And the fact that we are told the film reels from the satellite were ripped into shreds and scattered all around the launch complex which does suggest it had its own destruct system.

No, it doesn't
a. The range doesn't require it.
b. Payload owners don't like destruct charges on their spacecraft
c. The spacecraft prop tanks were on the aft end, where a second stage would take it out
d. If the range wanted the spacecraft prop tank taken out and studies showed that a second stage destruct would not do the job, then a projectile charge could be mounted on second stage to take out the spacecraft tank (much like Gemini Agena)
e. The US did/does not have destruct charges on spacecraft to keep them from going into others' hands.

LittleBird · « **Reply #945 on:** 04/22/2025 05:09 am »

Quote from: Targeteer on 04/12/2019 04:02 am

NRO Facebook post

This year, as part of our booth activities at the 35th #SpaceSymposium, we've brought along the Hexagon (KH-9) film take-up reel. The reel seen here is just one example of the technological innovation carried out over 57 months in the late 1960s by thousands of scientists, engineers, technicians, and administrators from across government and industry to create a new and revolutionary intelligence collection system that would usher in a new age of satellite photoreconnaissance.

"We didn't get to this point by accident; it was achieved through perseverance, technical competence and a lot of hard work," said the Honorable Edward C. Aldridge, undersecretary of the U.S. Air Force and director of the National Reconnaissance Office, about the Hexagon program on July 12, 1983.

Apologies if this has already been noted, but I think this take-up reel is the one now on display in the International Spy Museum in Washington DC ?

catdlr · « **Reply #946 on:** 04/22/2025 07:02 am »

Quote from: LittleBird on 04/22/2025 05:09 am

Quote from: Targeteer on 04/12/2019 04:02 am
NRO Facebook post

This year, as part of our booth activities at the 35th #SpaceSymposium, we've brought along the Hexagon (KH-9) film take-up reel. The reel seen here is just one example of the technological innovation carried out over 57 months in the late 1960s by thousands of scientists, engineers, technicians, and administrators from across government and industry to create a new and revolutionary intelligence collection system that would usher in a new age of satellite photoreconnaissance.

"We didn't get to this point by accident; it was achieved through perseverance, technical competence and a lot of hard work," said the Honorable Edward C. Aldridge, undersecretary of the U.S. Air Force and director of the National Reconnaissance Office, about the Hexagon program on July 12, 1983.

Apologies if this has already been noted, but I think this take-up reel is the one now on display in the International Spy Museum in Washington DC ?

https://www.spymuseum.org/exhibition-experiences/about-the-collection/collection-highlights/hexagon-take-up-reel/

WallE · « **Reply #947 on:** 04/25/2025 04:30 pm »

Quote from: Blackstar on 04/19/2025 10:57 pm

I was out at SLC-4 last fall. We climbed up part of the berm outside the pad perimeter, and we also overlooked it from a nearby hill. The person I was with said that they found one of the HEXAGON reentry vehicles in a ravine several thousand feet from the pad.

I would love to have a report on the debris cleanup.

This fellow provides some interesting bits. Exactly as I said would have happened, the SRM #1 casing was split open like a zipper by the ISDS charges while the SRM #2 was not as the ISDS system on it was presumably damaged by the casing rupture. A bit further down he describes the K-11 failure as extremely spectacular and that it was out over the Santa Barbara Channel when it happened. There doesn't seem to be any pictures or video of it online unlike the other 80s-90s Titan failures.

Blackstar · « **Reply #948 on:** 04/28/2025 01:50 pm »

I have a report (really only a letter summary--1 or 2 pages) somewhere about the aftermath of the explosion. There were people in a local community who were told to shelter in place. But I think that the sheltering information was not very good. Afterwards, people were concerned about what they had been exposed to, and a USAF official had to talk to them to assuage their concerns. I think people wanted to know if there was any nuclear material on the rocket and they were told there was none.

The summary was a bit vague, and it was not clear to me if anybody was actually exposed to the fumes, or if there was only a threat of exposure.

edzieba · « **Reply #949 on:** 04/29/2025 09:45 am »

Even if risk of exposure was low, telling people to stay indoors and avoid approaching or even really observing the area ~~possibly strewn with exposed pieces of classified hardware~~ possibly covered with toxic vapours has the nice benefit in a cover story of being true, even if overly cautious.