This Massive Cold War Spy Satellite Was Hidden from the World Until Now [Space]

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.

To celebrate its 50th birthday, the top secret satellite operators at the National Reconnaissance Office gave the public a little present: full access to a real life HEXAGON at National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia—filled largely with nostalgic old spies and space engineers. So of course we checked it out. The enormity of the thing is stunning, as is its complexity. [View as single page]

In the 70s, flying a plane over the Soviet Union and China wasn't like hopping on Jet Blue—especially one loaded with American spy gear. So the Pentagon cooked up HEXAGON—the most sophisticated space eyeball among the first generation of spy sats. Beginning in 1971, each HEXAGON was pushed up into space by a Titan III rocket, whereupon it would snap humungous panoramic views of Russian turf with its giant camera, which boasted a focal length of 77 inches, a 20-inch aperture, and the ability to capture detail down to two or three feet. But how'd it get the film down to Earth? With a lot of balls.

Each payload of recon negatives was launched in its own landing vehicle, met by a spy plane that would literally snatch it out of the air like a butterfly net. These photos were used to, of course, see what the dastardly commies were up to, and plan for an eventual war against them. Of course, none of this was ever needed, as they weren't really up to that much. But the HEXAGON marked a profound shift for warfare—even cold warfare. For the first time, space was a battlefield. America began to think that to control space was to control what sat underneath it—the vacuum was militarized. And this giant hulk helped make it that way—a process that'll never, ever be reversed. [NRO] You can keep up with Sam Biddle, the author of this post, on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+. All photography by Nicko Margolies. For more of Nicko's work and contact information, check out his photo blog.

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The Most Massive Whirlybird in the Western World [Video]

How do you move a 16,000 pound M198 Howitzer, with its crew and ammo, 50 miles over impossible terrain in one night? You get yourself a Super Stallion, the biggest and strongest air pony in the US military.

The Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion is the largest and heaviest helicopter in the western world (i.e., non-Soviet). It's built by Sikorsky Aircraft and based on the CH-53D Sea Stallion design, though the Super Stallion has added a third engine, seventh rotor blade, and tilted the rear rotor 20 degrees off vertical to provide added lift. It was first put into service in 1981 and has since been a mainstay for the Marine Corps in all of its heavy lifting and mass troop transportation missions.

The Super Stallion is often called the "Hurricane Maker" because the down-wash that the helicopter generates is enough knock full-grown men off their feet. The triple T64-GE-416 turbo shafts that power this beast generate sufficient lift to transport up to 55 troops or 30,000 pounds of cargo internally or can carry 36,000 pounds externally. That's enough to lift heavy equipment from the eight-wheeled LAV-25 Light Armored Vehicle to planes and helicopters its own size—virtually every aircraft in the Marine Corp arsenal, save for the KC-130.

Changes on the CH-53E from the previous Seas Stallion model also include a stronger transmission, titanium-fiberglass composite rotor blades, and an automatic flight control system. This was the digital flight control system used by the US military and prevented the pilot from overstressing the aircraft (it could literally tear itself apart if pushed too hard).

These motors are so powerful that, despite its massive size—99 feet long, nearly 28 feet tall, and weighing 33,000 pounds—the CH-53E is considered to have outstanding speed—topping out at 173 knots (196 mph, 315 km/h) with a range of 550 nautical miles. It's outfitted with infra-red suppressors on the engine exhaust pipes that reduce the helicopter's heat signature. This lowers the likelihood of ground-based heat seeking missiles from locking on. If they do, the Super Stallion is also equipped with a chaff dispenser system and strategically-placed titanium and kevlar armor plating.

The helicopters are equipped with Night Vision, FLIR, Doppler, and ground-following radar—all of which is fed directly to the pilots' Integrated Helmet and Display Sighting Systems. If return fire is necessary, the CH-53E is outfitted with two window-mounted .50 BMG XM218 machine guns and a .50 caliber Browning M2 machine gun mounted on the rear ramp. They've even loaded with one Sidewinder or two Stinger AAM's, though the missiles have never been used in combat.

The CH-53E is nearing the end of its storied and illustrious career—marked with saving civilians from the US Embassy in Mogadishu at the start of the Somali Civil War in 1991, rescuing Captain Scott O'Grady after his F-16 was shot down over Bosnia in 1995, or taking part in the longest amphibious raid in history when six CH-53E's secured the first landing base in Afghanistan in 2001. It will soon be replaced by the new CH-53K, which will feature new engines, new composite rotor blades, and an even wider cabin.

[Wikipedia - Vector Site - US Marine Corp - Guncopter]

Monster Machines is all about the most exceptional machines in the world, from massive gadgets of destruction to tiny machines of precision, and everything in between.

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How New York City Built a Massive $3.8 Billion Underground Transit Station in the WTC's Footprints [Monster Machines]

The original World Trade Center PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) Station, opened in 1971, was destroyed in the 9/11 attacks when the WTC towers collapsed on top of it. Its replacement, the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, is a mega-terminal on the scale of Grand Central Station—under the new WTC complex.

"The Financial District used to be, at some point, part of the Hudson. We are in a lot of landfill area; Battery Park Station and the World Financial Center are built on landfill," Eduardo DelValle, Director of Design Management for 1 World Trade Center told us. "This whole 16 acres is walled in by slurry walls, and they're designed to keep the Hudson from coming in because the water table here is very, very high. Within two feet [of digging down from street level] we're hitting water."

The slurry wall or "bathtub" method involves digging a trench and filling the resulting space with a mixture of bentonite and water, which temporarily plugs holes and keeps groundwater from penetrating. When the trench is completed, workers insert a steel cage into the trench and pump in concrete, which forces the slurry mix out, resulting in a water-tight retaining wall.

When the WTC towers fell, many of the floor slabs that supported the original slurry wall were knocked out, leaving just the debris pile itself to keep the wall from collapsing. As excavations of "The Pile" commenced, the wall's support structure was removed and, over time, due to the intense water pressure exerted by the Hudson, sections of the wall ended up shifting as much as a foot inward and caused a massive crack to form in one section of the slurry wall—leaking of anywhere from 100-200 gallons per minute in places.

Work crews immediately back-filled huge amounts of soil to bolster the wall. They then plugged the leaks by pushing rope treated with an expanding chemical into the holes and stopped the wall from further cracking by pumping in a strong sealing paste. Workers also excavated a series of wells outside the wall to lower the groundwater level, thereby reducing pressure outside of the wall. Intruding water was summarily pumped out.

The new slurry wall being built around the 16-acre WTC complex not only provides protection from the Hudson's waters but also acts as a foundation for the new transportation hub's lower floors. Its three-foot thick walls extend 70—100 feet into the Earth, pass within six feet of the new train tunnels and are anchored into the bedrock with approximately 1,000 cable tie-backs.

It did, however, suffer similar water intrusion damage with Hurricane Irene. "Water was just gushing in," said DelValle. Since the original wall's structural integrity had been repeatedly compromised, the WTC design team determined that a second layer of protection was necessary, "so what we're doing is putting in liner walls," DelValle continued, "which is a another slurry wall in front of the old, providing another layer of protection."

When you think of an underground transportation facility, the image of a child's hands releasing a bird into flight shouldn't be the first think you think of—third, maybe, after Mole Men and Crab People—but that is exactly what famed Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava based the new canopy cover of the Transportation Hub on.

The Hub entrance—aka the Oculus—is comprised of 300 pieces of steel erected in a rare, Vierendeel Truss design that features a pair of 150-foot-high "wings" suspended over a glass and steel "body"—built from two sets of specially-designed arches, each weighing between 10-25 tons and standing over 30 feet tall—that allows natural light to penetrate to the rail platforms more than 60 feet below street level. The steel beams were manufactured numerous locations including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Canada and Spain.

"The building is built with steel, glass, and light. They will all be equal building materials," says Calatrava in a press release. "The light will arrive at the platform, and visitors will feel like they are arriving in a great place, a welcoming place."

The deck-over construction method was employed to ensure that the Memorial Plaza would be ready for the upcoming 10th anniversary of the attacks and 9/11 Memorial opening. The station itself is expected to open by mid-2014, according to the Port Authority.

Lower Manhattan is set to become the third-largest transportation center in New York when the World Trade Center Transportation Hub is completed.

It will house the PATH lines, 13 subway lines via the Fulton Street Transit Center through the Dey Street Corridor, and link visitors and locals alike to the World Financial Center through the most integrated network of underground pedestrian connections in all of New York City. In total, pedestrians will be able to access the Battery Park City Ferry Terminal to the WTC Memorial, Towers 1, 2, 3, and 4 as well as the Hudson River ferry terminals, the World Financial Center, and the proposed rail link to JFK Airport from the same central hub.

Located near the northeast corner of the WTC site between Towers 2 and 3, the Hub itself will be 300,000 sq. ft. and include a multi-story central hall that includes a lower concourse with balcony walkway above it (a la Grand Central Station) as well as a public waiting area and 500,000 sq. ft. of retail and dining space. It will be able to accommodate many as 250,000 riders a day—compared to the paltry 50,000 the temporary station currently can handle—as well as the millions of annual visitors to the new World Trade Center complex and 9/11 Memorial and Museum.

The entire Transportation Hub interior will be generally free of vertical columns, on account of the two massive plate girders—each 7 feet high and 143 feet long—that sit atop four super-columns, resulting in a greater sense of openness through the concourse. It will also feature three full-service, climate-controlled, 10-car platforms with five tracks, in addition to an additional platform to accommodate any future service lines.

In all, the Hub will consume over 22,000 tons of steel—roughly as much as the USS New York—in its construction. It's being financed via $1.92 billion from the Federal Transportation Agency with the Port Authority picking up the rest of the bill. The Hub promises to revolutionize how New Yorkers access Lower Manhattan and the greater NYC area.

Oculus image courtesy of NY/NJ Port Authority

Monster Machines is all about the most exceptional machines in the world, from massive gadgets of destruction to tiny machines of precision, and everything in between.

A civilization can distinguish itself by how well it responds to disaster, and 10 years later, 9/11 is as much a story about recovery and rebuilding as it a story of terrible loss and tragedy. As a nation, our political and economic response has been imperfect—possibly even dead wrong—but we're focusing on the mechanical marvels that have helped us bounce back.

You can keep up with Andrew Tarantola, the author of this post, on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+.

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Bowers & Wilkins C5 In-Ear Headphones Lightning Review: Massive Sound, Tiny Buds [Headphones]

Do you like to do things and listen to music while you're doing them? Me too! We have so much in common! Maybe you should try these C5 in-ear headphones from Bowers & Wilkins. They're great for listening while doing.

I totally want to make out with the industrial designer responsible for these buds. These suckers about as secure as Barack Obama's underwear drawer. An ingenious loop that sends the cable back through a passage in the speakers lets you use the wire to hold the buds in place. Pop them in your ear canal, push the cable, and the loop expands to secure itself against your antihelix. (That's the cartilage around your ear hole, smart guy. Hey, I had to look it up too.) Meanwhile, the tungsten sound tube is weighted towards your ear's interior, which also helps keeps them in place because they want to fall in, not out. The in-ear anchor works better than any over-ear cable contraption that I've ever tried. It makes them fantastic for running, mountain biking, or other highly active things that maybe you shouldn't wear earbuds for but probably will anyway. And while they aren't noise-canceling, they fit so snugly in the ear that they do a great job of blocking out ambient sound.

Better yet, they sound better than a come on from Lauren Bacall. (Ladies: you can swap in, let's say, Clive Owen.) Bowers & Wilkins says that the micro-porous filter, which has hundreds of itty-bitty steel balls, acts as a diffuser and opens up the sound in an otherwise tiny speaker. The dog ate my audio engineering degree, so I don't know about that. But my ears do tell me that the sound is rich and expansive. When I listened to lossless tracks back-to-back with the C5 followed by a pair of commonly-available $100 in-ears, there was no comparison. It was like being in a symphony hall versus standing outside of one.

They're also made for iPhone, so you can skip tracks and make calls. How pleasant.

Oh, tunneling terror! That stethoscoping sound! Make it stop! While the lower portion of the cable (below where the right and left speaker cables join) was well insulated and largely noise free, the upper portion had quite a bit of cable noise. And since that's the part that hangs down from your ears, it's also the part that gets jostled quite a bit. While it's no worse than most other in-ears, more insulation on the upper part of the speaker cable would probably have made for a quieter connection.

These are some delightful speakers. The bottom line is that they pack a massive sound into tiny buds. But even better, they stay in well and are exceptionally comfortable, even when you wear them for long periods of time. While they're expensive, if you've got the beans to dop on quality buds, you won't be disappointed.

You can keep up with Mat Honan, the author of this post, on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+. Related Stories

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Sony NEX-7 Fights Micro Four-Thirds Cameras With a Massive DSLR Sensor [Cameras]

The Sony NEX-7 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera that nearly fits in the palm of your hand, yet has the same 24.3-megapixel Exmor APS HD sensor as the Alpha DSLR line and a beautifully designed magnesium alloy body.

Like the new Alpha cams, it's equipped with an OLED viewfinder, captures 1080p video at 60p (AVCHD Progressive) and has an ISO range of 100-16000. It has a 10fps burst mode (an apparent first), as well as low shutter lag (20ms).

The NEX-7 also makes use of an awesome-looking dual-dial control interface which are fully-customizable. Add in lightweight (the body is only 10.3 ounces), and an adjustable screen, and this looks like it could be a promising leap for bite-sized, big-sensor cameras.

The Sony NEX-5 also got a refresh, and is now called the NEX-5N. The updated camera has a 16.1-megapixel sensor (using the same Exmor sensor as the Alpha A77 and NEX-7), AVCHD Progressive video capabilities, 10fps burst mode and an improved shutter response of 20ms.

The NEX-7 will be available in November for $1350 with a 18-55mm kit lens or $1200 for the body alone. Meanwhile the NEX-5N will be available in September with the same kit lens for $700, or on its own for $600. {Sony, Sony]

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This Massive Hurricane Is Barreling Towards the East Coast [Video]

Today, Irene is a Category 2 storm moving through the northern coast of Haiti. By this weekend, it could be a Category 4 that's ravaging the east coast from South Carolina to NYC. Gulp.

Irene has already left a million people without power in Puerto Rico, and it's expected to make a run at the Carolinas by Saturday morning, sweeping up through the Mid-Atlantic before petering out just past New York City on Sunday night. It's impossible to say exactly where and when a hurricane will go, of course, but the Cone of Uncertainty (which is actually, kind-of-wonderfully what it's really called!) shown below projects major landfalls ahead.

The most recent comparable is Hurricane Floyd, which came inland over Cape Fear, NC in 1999 and went on to cause an estimated $4.5 billion in damage and 57 deaths. As you can see below, its path looks remarkably similar to the one Irene is charted for.

But most of all, my goodness, would you just look at that thing, swirling and churning its way towards our shores? Nature, we get it. You're terrifying. Now if we give you our lunch money, will you leave us alone? [NOAA, Miami Herald]

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