According to the declassified CIA document, "On 10 July 1971, the third HEXAGON RV was lost. The parachute failed to reef before fully deploying, and it was snapped off at the swivel. The RV entered ballistically and impacted the water with a force of approximately 2600 g's and settled in 16,000 feet of water." Image released August 8, 2012.
The recovery hook used in attempts to retrieve the HEXAGON recovery vehicle in 1971-1972. Image released August 8, 2012.
The Trieste II bathysphere was used to recover the sunken HEXAGON recovery vehicle in 3 secret attempts 1971-72. Image released August 8, 2012.
The Trieste II bathysphere with recovery hook attached was used to retrieve the sunken HEXAGON recovery vehicle in 3 secret attempts 1971-72. Image released August 8, 2012.
The Trieste II bathysphere was used to recover the sunken HEXAGON recovery vehicle in 3 secret attempts during 1971-72. Image released August 8, 2012.
Detail of the Trieste II bathysphere is seen here. The craft was used to recover the sunken HEXAGON recovery vehicle in 3 secret attempts during 1971-72. Image released August 8, 2012.
This photo from the declassified CIA document regarding the HEXAGON RV retrieval missions (1971-72) appears to show the effects of pressure on styrofoam cups placed carried to the ocean floor aboard the Trieste II bathysphere. Image released August 8, 2012.
A declassified CIA image of part of the HEXAGON Recovery Vehicle of the early 1970's. Image released
A piece of the HEXAGON spy satellite used by the U.S. in the early 1970's. Documents and photographs of the effort to retrieve a damaged HEXAGON recovery vehicle from the Pacific ocean recently became declassified. Image released August 8, 2012.
A component of HEXAGON spy satellite is seen in a recently declassified CIA photograph. Image released August 8, 2012.
During the successful underwater recovery effort in 1972, the U.S. Trieste II Bathysphere was able to locate the damaged HEXAGON film stacks. However, the film disintegrated upon being moved. Image released August 8, 2012.
The damaged HEXAGON spy satellite film stack sits on the ocean floor, before the 1972 U.S. recovery effort. Image released August 8, 2012.
HEXAGON Recovery Vehicle shown in pre-launch state. Image released August 8, 2012.
This image taken from a now-declassified National Reconnaissance Document illustrates the field of view of the HEXAGON spy satellites that flew on 20 missions between 1971 and 1986.
This NRO image released on Sept. 17, 2011 shows the imaging field of view of the HEXAGON spy satellites, which were used on 20 space reconnaissance missions between 1971 and 1986.
This graphic from a U.S. National Reconnaissance Office document depicts the flight profile of the massive HEXAGON spy satellite missions that flew from June 1971 to April 1986.
The massive KH-9 Hexagon spy satellite on display at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center, after being declassified on Sept. 17, 2011. Longer than a school bus at 60 feet in length and weighing 30,000 pounds at launch, 20 KH-9 Hexagons were launched by the National Reconnaissance Office between 1971 and 1986.
This National Reconnaissance Office released graphic depicts the huge HEXAGON spy satellite, a Cold War era surveillance craft that flew reconnaissance missions from 1971 to 1986. The bus-size satellites weighed 30,000 pounds and were 60 feet long.
A Titan 3D rocket equipped with five-segment solid rocket boosters launches the spy satellite Hexagon Mission 1215 on March 16, 1979 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., in this National Reconnaissance Office image.
