Ode to Big Bird, Part 1

Copyright © 2014 by Thomas Gangale
@ThomasGangale

I recently saw that the KH-8 Gambit and KH-9 Hexagon reconnaissance satellite programs were declassified in 2011. I just happened to stumble over these on the Internet, and it was a tremendous surprise. I worked on these programs at Lockheed/Sunnyvale from 1982 to the end of both programs in 1984 and 1986, respectively. After all the years of keeping the secret, it is a strange feeling to see the words Gambit, Hexagon, and Byeman in open sources. These were words that we were not even supposed to speak outside of certain rooms and buildings that constituted the "black world," almost as if these existed in a separate dimension from the "white world." Of course, the word "Byeman" has been known to the "white world" since the Dalton Lee/Christopher Boyce case, "The Falcon and the Snowman." The names "Gambit" and "Hexagon" were out there too; still, we were never to give them attribution.

Although there have been accurate drawings of Gambit in the open sources for years, I never saw anything close to the real Hexagon configuration until now. Yeah, secrets can be kept. The thousands of people who worked on these programs did observe the code of silence, what in Italian is called "omertá." That word comes to mind because being briefed into the Byeman information control system was an experience that had the feel of becoming a "made guy." I was "introduced" to some people whom I had never met, which is what one expects when being introduced to someone, but I was also "introduced" to some guys whom I had worked with for a year without knowing that they were "made guys."

I remember two things being said that day. One was, "Welcome to the REAL space program." Another was when I was escorted to the clean room and saw the Hexagon (no. 18) for the first time, I asked, "Does this have something to do with Big Bird?" The reply was, "THIS IS Big Bird."

Not long after that day, the guy whom I was being brought in to replace (he was in the chute for another assignment) told me an anecdote that describes well the feeling that I think most of us "made guys" had. A rabbi who was an avid golfer wanted to spend a holy day on the course when it wouldn't be very crowded. He figured, who's to know? Everyone else in the tribe will be home observing the holy day. One the first hole, he drives a hole-in-one, and he is ecstatic. It happens again on the second hole… and on the third. An angel says to God, "Look, I don't mean to tell you your business, but I couldn't help noticing that this schmuck is shooting the game of his life. Shouldn't you be punishing him?" And God said, "You think I'm not? Who's he going to tell?"

Go to Part 2

Thomas Gangale in Outer Space!