Discoverer 1

Launch Failure

Liftoff Time (GMT)

21:49:16

Saturday February 28, 1959

Mission Details

Launch Notes

Maiden flight of Thor-Agena. Agena telemetry lost T+730 seconds. Fate of the payload unknown, but generally presumed to have impacted somewhere in Antarctica.

Discoverer 1

Wiki

Discoverer 1 served as a technology demonstration satellite aimed at testing the propulsion and guidance systems of the booster, as well as evaluating systems for the Discoverer and Corona reconnaissance satellite program. Unlike subsequent missions, Discoverer 1 didn't carry a camera or film capsule but instead featured a cylindrical Agena-A upper stage with a conical nosecone, measuring 5.73 m in length and 1.52 m in diameter, made of magnesium. Its 18 kg payload primarily consisted of communication and telemetry equipment housed within the nosecone, including high-frequency low-power and radar beacon transmitters for tracking, along with fifteen telemetry channels to monitor spacecraft performance.

Low Earth Orbit

1 Payload

618 kilograms

Rocket

Retired
Thor DM-18 Agena-A

Active 1959 to 1962


Stages

3

Launch Site

SLC-1W (75-3-4)

Vandenberg SFB, California, USA

Fastest Turnaround

18 days 23 hours

Stats

Thor-Agena


1st

Mission

1st

Mission of 1959

1959


3rd

Orbital launch attempt