Hexagon: The history of film-based space intelligence (ZOOM Program)

January 25, 2026 - 7 pm EST by ZOOM: Hexagon: The history of film-based space intelligence: Speaker: Ricky Deutsch will talk about the evolution of US reconnaissance technology, resulting in today's real-time video capabilities. Initially, film was used in satellites to monitor treaty compliance and intelligence gathering of the Soviet Union and other "denied areas." The vehicle, HEXAGON, was 60-feet long and took pictures from 100 miles up. The program was urgent and required cooperation between the CIA and the Air Force, guided by the National Reconnaissance Office. This unclassified briefing by someone "who was there," gives a first-person historical look at how high-resolution images were not only taken but returned via parachute to be caught in mid-air. Essential to success was the work of the launch team, command and control, tracking stations and the aircrews who made the daring catches of the film buckets.

 

About Ricky Deutsch

 

Ricky is a former Captain in the US Air Force. His first assignment was as a B-52 maintenance officer, which included a tour in Thailand in the Vietnam War era. His next assignment was as Operations Director for a now declassified top-secret reconnaissance satellite program called HEXAGON. From the Satellite Control Facility (aka the "Blue Cube") in Sunnyvale, CA, his team generated mission critical commands to be sent to the satellite. Film photos of the Soviet Union were taken from 100 miles up. He was awarded a Commendation Medal for support of this program. Following his Air Force vocation, he worked in Silicon Valley's computer industry. Firms included Ford Aerospace and Communications Corporation, Intel Corporation and Sun Microsystems, Inc. Ricky holds a BS in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland, and Master's Degrees from USC and Santa Clara University.

 

He has written many articles for military space publications and given this talk to multiple government agencies, defense contractors and museums. He is member of the Military Officers Association of America, the Association of Former Intelligence Officers and the Society for Intelligence History.