Early in my career I knew pilots who did this and it was fascinating how they could catch the pictures taken from satellites on re-entry. This is how they got the pictures for the Cuban missile crisis. Back in the day when we only had wired telephones pay phone booths!

 

https://www.military.com/video/operations-and-strategy/covert-operations/how-to-catch-a-falling-spy-satellite/3841223113001

 

The beginnings of "Skyhook"... amazing what people are willing to try.

Hey, hold my beer...

 

And they are still trying to perfect it.

 

 

 

One of the guys I work with flew the C-130s snagging satellites. I think he has 3 recoveries. Then he went on the C-21 where I met him. We were at the O club and he was talking about it when he flew Hillary after the election but before the inauguration. She and Bill were not eligible for the big airplanes yet and she complained about that fact continuously. He said that after the first flight with her they adopted the callsign "Broomstick 1"