Science

US Government Can’t Even Hide Secret Spy Satellites Anymore

Last week, the National Reconnaissance Office, which runs America’s top secret spy satellites — Hi Iran! — launched its newest toy. It was a mystery — just a “payload“. But within hours, its orbit was tracked, and within days, amateurs astronomers were watching.


September 19, 2011
Science

Massive Cold War Spy Satellite Hidden From World Until Now

The Hexagon satellite spied on America’s Cold War foes for over a decade, taking extremely detailed (film!) photographs from space. It was 60 feet long — bigger than a bus. And the public never, ever saw it. We did.