Discoverer 8

Launch Successful

Launch Details

Date: 20 Nov 1959, 07:25 pm UTC

Rocket: Thor Agena A (Thor)

Provider: United States Air Force

Mission

Type: Government/Top Secret

Orbit: Low Earth Orbit

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

Mission Description

The KH-1 (Keyhole-1) was the first attempt in the Corona-program to build an optical reconnaissance satellite. These satellites were all launched under the name Discoverer.