Author: Robert Zimmerman
The story of the men and women who built Hexagon
The story of the men and women who built of the spy satellites dubbed Hexagon, and never told a soul.
It was dubbed “Big Bird” and it was considered the most successful space spy satellite program of the Cold War era. From 1971 to 1986 a total of 20 satellites were launched, each containing 60 miles of film and sophisticated cameras that orbited the earth snapping vast, panoramic photographs of the Soviet Union, China and other potential foes. The film was shot back through the earth’s atmosphere in buckets that parachuted over the Pacific Ocean, where C-130 Air Force planes snagged them with grappling hooks. The scale, ambition and sheer ingenuity of Hexagon KH-9 was breathtaking. The fact that 19 out of 20 launches were successful (the final mission blew up because the booster rockets failed) is astonishing.
So too is the human tale of the 45-year-old secret that many took to their graves.
The story of the men and women who built of the spy satellites dubbed Hexagon, and never told a soul.
It was dubbed “Big Bird” and it was considered the most successful space spy satellite program of the Cold War era. From 1971 to 1986 a total of 20 satellites were launched, each containing 60 miles of film and sophisticated cameras that orbited the earth snapping vast, panoramic photographs of the Soviet Union, China and other potential foes. The film was shot back through the earth’s atmosphere in buckets that parachuted over the Pacific Ocean, where C-130 Air Force planes snagged them with grappling hooks. The scale, ambition and sheer ingenuity of Hexagon KH-9 was breathtaking. The fact that 19 out of 20 launches were successful (the final mission blew up because the booster rockets failed) is astonishing.
So too is the human tale of the 45-year-old secret that many took to their graves.
Military Wives – Wherever you are
As the Pope calls for peace, Nigerian Islamists murder Catholics
The contrast couldn’t be more striking: As the Pope called for peace today on Christmas, Islamist terrorists murdered Catholics in Nigeria.
The contrast couldn’t be more striking: As the Pope called for peace today on Christmas, Islamist terrorists murdered Catholics in Nigeria.
Scottish couple unearth mysterious stone head in their garden, a spitting image of Homer Simpson
A Scottish couple have unearthed a mysterious stone head in their garden that is a spitting image of Homer Simpson.
A Scottish couple have unearthed a mysterious stone head in their garden that is a spitting image of Homer Simpson.
The man who invented the Erector set
The man who invented the Erector set.
The man who invented the Erector set.
Obama campaign: “$40 a month adds up to roughly $1000 a year
The Obama campaign does math: “$40 a month adds up to roughly $1000 a year.”
And yes, I am not making that up. That is exactly what the Obama campaign said.
The Obama campaign does math: “$40 a month adds up to roughly $1000 a year.”
And yes, I am not making that up. That is exactly what the Obama campaign said.
The Rainmaker
Why Did I Have To Go To Pravda To Get My Op-Ed About TSA Rape Published?
Doing the reporting American journalists won’t do: “Why did I have to go to Pravda to get my op-ed about TSA rape published?”
Doing the reporting American journalists won’t do: “Why did I have to go to Pravda to get my op-ed about TSA rape published?”
TSA agent confiscated a cupcake.
A TSA agent confiscated a cupcake on Wednesday, saying that the frosting was enough like a gel to violate their rules.
I think this comment describes what actually happened: “These ‘rules’ allow TSA agents to steal from travelers.”
A TSA agent confiscated a cupcake on Wednesday, saying that the frosting was enough like a gel to violate their rules.
I think this comment describes what actually happened: “These ‘rules’ allow TSA agents to steal from travelers.”
A man dressed up as a Christmas tree to protest the Christmas decoration ban at the Staten Island Ferry Terminal
Push-back: A man dressed up as a Christmas tree yesterday to protest the Christmas decoration ban at the Staten Island Ferry Terminal.
Push-back: A man dressed up as a Christmas tree yesterday to protest the Christmas decoration ban at the Staten Island Ferry Terminal.
One of its lead authors has quit the IPCC.
One of the lead global warming authors of the IPCC has quit.
One of the lead global warming authors of the IPCC has quit.
Fragments from the failed Russian launch crash onto “Cosmonaut Street” in Siberia
Fragments from yesterday’s failed Russian launch crashed onto “Cosmonaut Street” in Siberia.
Fragments from yesterday’s failed Russian launch crashed onto “Cosmonaut Street” in Siberia.
Another Russian launch failure today
Mall Santa Musical
Underground exploring today
No posting today, as I am leaving home at 6:30 am with several cavers for a day trip to a cave in the Chiricahua Mountains in southeast Arizona. The drive one way is about three and a half hours, so doing this as a day trip will likely break what I like to call Zimmerman’s law: “The cave time must exceed the drive time.”
However, when I first visited Tucson last winter and mentioned I might move here, the local cavers asked if I’d be interested in being the cartographer of this particular cave and help them get a project started to survey it. Three previous attempts to survey it were never completed, so no good map exists. And since I have recently completed two significant cave maps of two important West Virginia caves (see monographs 3 and 4 on this page) and am without a map project at the moment, how could I say no? Tomorrow’s trip is my first visit to the cave in preparation for getting the survey project off the ground in January.
Anyway, I will be back late, and will return to the computer on Saturday. For everyone, have a Merry Christmas weekend!
Four New York Democrats plead guilty to voter fraud
Four New York Democrats plead guilty to voter fraud.
Four New York Democrats plead guilty to voter fraud.
Andrea McArdle sings “Tomorrow” at an Annie Workshop
The view of Comet Lovejoy from ISS
The view of Comet Lovejoy from ISS. With video.
The view of Comet Lovejoy from ISS. With video.
A career employee in the Voting Section of Justice’s Civil Rights Division has confessed to committing perjury.
A career employee in the Voting Section of Justice’s Civil Rights Division has confessed to committing perjury. The response of the Obama Justice Department? Nothing to see here, please move along.
Amazingly, despite Ms. Gyamfi’s admission of committing perjury not once, but three times, she so far has been neither terminated nor disciplined by the Justice Department. In fact, her boss, Voting Section Chief Chris Herren, continues to assign her to the most politically sensitive of matters, including the Department’s review of Texas’s congressional redistricting plan. More disturbing, according to my sources, is that Ms. Gyamfi is now being treated as a hero by some of her Voting Section colleagues. Many of them are gratified at her efforts — illegitimate or not — to make the Bush administration look bad in its preclearance of Texas’s earlier redistricting submission. [emphasis in originial]
A career employee in the Voting Section of Justice’s Civil Rights Division has confessed to committing perjury. The response of the Obama Justice Department? Nothing to see here, please move along.
Amazingly, despite Ms. Gyamfi’s admission of committing perjury not once, but three times, she so far has been neither terminated nor disciplined by the Justice Department. In fact, her boss, Voting Section Chief Chris Herren, continues to assign her to the most politically sensitive of matters, including the Department’s review of Texas’s congressional redistricting plan. More disturbing, according to my sources, is that Ms. Gyamfi is now being treated as a hero by some of her Voting Section colleagues. Many of them are gratified at her efforts — illegitimate or not — to make the Bush administration look bad in its preclearance of Texas’s earlier redistricting submission. [emphasis in originial]
More bad news for the anti-energy, green greed brigade
James Delingpole: More bad news for the anti-energy, green greed brigade.
I love the way Delingpole enthusiastically zings the trolls who comment on his writings. Makes for some juicy reading.
James Delingpole: More bad news for the anti-energy, green greed brigade.
I love the way Delingpole enthusiastically zings the trolls who comment on his writings. Makes for some juicy reading.
Mystery space ball drops on Namibia
Chicken Little report: A mysterious metal sphere fell out of the sky in Namibia.
Chicken Little report: A mysterious metal sphere fell out of the sky in Namibia.
The end of LightSquared
“No big plane will ever be taken that way again, because the passengers will fight back.”
Bringing an asteroid home in a bag.
The NASA shuttle simulator for training astronauts is going to at Texas A&M
The NASA shuttle simulator for training astronauts is going to Texas A&M.
Valasek said it won’t be a static display for viewing but a functional flight simulator. Visitors will be able to sit in the seats and cockpit and manually fly a simulated re-entry as the shuttle astronauts did. “When operational again, the SMS will be the centerpiece of many educational, outreach, and research activities for a long time to come,” Valasek said. “And it will be accessible. Until now, 355 astronauts have trained on the Shuttle Motion Simulator and flown on a space shuttle mission. Now the rest of us can experience at least a part of the excitement of space exploration, just the way the astronauts trained for it.”
The simulator will be used in aerospace engineering courses and accessible to all Texas A&M students, staff, and faculty. Spaceflight enthusiasts and fans of technology, whether affiliated with the university or not, will also be able to enjoy it.
Now, this is what an engineering school should be focused on, rather than the skin color of its students.
The NASA shuttle simulator for training astronauts is going to Texas A&M.
Valasek said it won’t be a static display for viewing but a functional flight simulator. Visitors will be able to sit in the seats and cockpit and manually fly a simulated re-entry as the shuttle astronauts did. “When operational again, the SMS will be the centerpiece of many educational, outreach, and research activities for a long time to come,” Valasek said. “And it will be accessible. Until now, 355 astronauts have trained on the Shuttle Motion Simulator and flown on a space shuttle mission. Now the rest of us can experience at least a part of the excitement of space exploration, just the way the astronauts trained for it.”
The simulator will be used in aerospace engineering courses and accessible to all Texas A&M students, staff, and faculty. Spaceflight enthusiasts and fans of technology, whether affiliated with the university or not, will also be able to enjoy it.
Now, this is what an engineering school should be focused on, rather than the skin color of its students.
Bigotry on campus
The newly named “associate dean for equity and inclusion” at the College of Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, is promising “disruptive progress” in his effort to increase minorities at the school.
The plan [pdf] includes more money for staffing and facilities for the “equity and inclusion” department, plus more money and power for student organizations. Sadly, this is money and facilities that will no longer be available for actual education or research.
» Read more
Volcano boarding in Nicaragua
Putting the chill on global warming skeptics
Government thugs: Putting the chill on global warming skeptics.
Government thugs: Putting the chill on global warming skeptics.
