6594th Test Group

The 6594th Test Group was a highly specialized unit of the United States Air Force, established in 1958 and based at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. Its primary mission was the recovery of film canisters ejected from reconnaissance satellites, such as those from the Corona program, during the early years of space-based intelligence gathering. Using specially modified JC-130 aircraft, the unit performed daring mid-air retrievals of sensitive payloads descending by parachute over the Pacific Ocean. The 6594th Test Group’s operations played a crucial role in advancing American strategic reconnaissance capabilities during the Cold War, before being inactivated in 1986.