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Both the USA-290 images, and previous ones, to me, bear a resemblance to a model of a satellite in the George HW Bush Presidential Museum's CIA exhibit, as photographed by Charles P Vick, I believe. The webpage with the photos is here: https://premium.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/kh-12-pics.htmThe model in the museum has details that line up with other sources of information that seem to tie to the KH-11, such as the following NASA document with information on the Lockheed Missiles and Space Company Bus-1: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19940006353/downloads/19940006353.pdfOn specifically page 34 onward of the PDF. This document also agrees with a couple of scanned photos, captioned as a Bus-1, also on the linked webpage from GlobalSecurity.orgWhilst this is speculative to a degree, it would be understandable if previous images tended to capture a more side-on and front or back view of KH-11 satellites, with the USA-290 images showing it at a more unique angle, showing the parallel solar panels flanking either side of the presumable optical tube of the satellite that were typically not very distinguishable from the central tube in previous imagery. I've attached a couple images of the satellite model in the museum to this post.
Both the USA-290 images, and previous ones, to me, bear a resemblance to a model of a satellite in the George HW Bush Presidential Museum's CIA exhibit, as photographed by Charles P Vick, I believe. The webpage with the photos is here: https://premium.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/kh-12-pics.htm
The model in the museum has details that line up with other sources of information that seem to tie to the KH-11, such as the following NASA document with information on the Lockheed Missiles and Space Company Bus-1: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19940006353/downloads/19940006353.pdf
On specifically page 34 onward of the PDF. This document also agrees with a couple of scanned photos, captioned as a Bus-1, also on the linked webpage from GlobalSecurity.org
Whilst this is speculative to a degree, it would be understandable if previous images tended to capture a more side-on and front or back view of KH-11 satellites, with the USA-290 images showing it at a more unique angle, showing the parallel solar panels flanking either side of the presumable optical tube of the satellite that were typically not very distinguishable from the central tube in previous imagery. I've attached a couple images of the satellite model in the museum to this post.
