Three shadowy relics of the Cold War will emerge at the National Museum of the US Air Force in late January, reports the Dayton Daily News. The National Reconnaissance Office donated the recently declassified intelligence satellites, along with hundreds of historical documents, to the museum, which is located in Dayton, Ohio. Code-named Key Hole, the KH-7 Gambit 1, the KH-8 Gambit 3, and the KH-9 Hexagon satellites photographed sensitive military targets over the communist bloc from the 1960s to 1980s. The spacecraft will go on public display after a commemorative ceremony, according to the newspaper. NRO declassified the satellites in September during a ceremony at the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center in northern Virginia. (See NRO’s special webpage for access to the declassified Gambit and Hexagon records.) (See also Space Flight Now report.)
MH-139 Reaches Initial Operational Capability
Sept. 1, 2026
The Air Force’s new nuclear security helicopter, the MH-139A Grey Wolf, achieved initial operational capability this month—a significant milestone in the service’s effort to replace its Vietnam War-era UH-1N Hueys but years later than originally planned.