Back to Launches

Discoverer 1

Launch Failure

Launch Details

Date: 28 Feb 1959, 09:49 pm UTC

Rocket: Thor Agena A (Thor)

Provider: United States Air Force

Mission

Type: Government/Top Secret

Orbit: Polar Orbit

Pad: Space Launch Complex 1W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Mission Description

Discoverer I was the first of a series of satellites part of the CORONA reconnaissance program. This satellite didn't take a camera or film system as it was intended as a test. There were issues communicating with the satellite during flight with only intermittent signals being read.