Re: Hangar 18 Extension (Late 80s)


Message posted by Peter Merlin on May 27, 2020 at 8:00:03 PST:

The problem with this 1988 Soviet satellite image is that the original was actually quite low resolution. Many years ago I spoke with the guy who obtained the electronic image file and "enhanced" it into what it looks like in "Electronic Spies." Based on the fuzziness of the original image, the clarity and detail in the published picture is mostly imagination and wishful thinking.

That is why many of the buildings are the wrong shape or size. For example, he "enhanced" the west side of Hangar 18 out of existence. The shading on that the original image made that section of the roff almost disappear into the background.

Also, there were no aircraft visible on the ramp in the original. Frankly, I don't know how he got a "B-1 prototype" out of the smudge on the image file. The "C-130s" and the other smaller aircraft to the left were teased out of several dark blobs on the north ramp. These features are quite clearly visible on aerial photos taken in 1979. The larger blobs were part of a dark amorphous stain on the concrete ramp that look like the result of chemical spills or possibly a fire. The smaller spot had a more regular geometric shape but did not appear to be a solid object.

So, bottom line, the picture from "Electronic Spies" was someone's failed attempt to accurately interpret the data from a low-quality image.


In Reply to: Re: Hangar 18 Extension (Late 80s) posted by Jason S on May 26, 2020 at 7:35:23 PST:

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