The launch of Discoverer 36
Discoverer 36, also known as Corona 9029, was an American optical reconnaissance satellite which was launched in 1961. It was a KH-3 Corona''' satellite, based around an Agena-B rocket.[1] It was the penultimate KH-3 satellite to be launched, the last successful mission, and the most successful of the programme.[2]
The launch of Discoverer 36 occurred at 20:40 UTC on 12 December 1961. A Thor DM-21 Agena-B rocket was used, flying from Launch Complex 75-3-4 at the Vandenberg Air Force Base.[3] Upon successfully reaching orbit, it was assigned the Harvard designation 1961 Alpha Kappa 1. Oscar 1, the first amateur radio satellite, was launched aboard the same rocket.[3]
Discoverer 36 was operated in a low Earth orbit, with a perigee of 223 kilometres (139 mi), an apogee of 445 kilometres (277 mi), 81.1 degrees of inclination, and a period of 91.2 minutes.[4] The satellite had a mass of 1,150 kilograms (2,540 lb),[5] and was equipped with a panoramic camera with a focal length of 61 centimetres (24 in), which had a maximum resolution of 7.6 metres (25 ft).[6] Images were recorded onto 70-millimeter (2.8 in) film, and returned in a Satellite Recovery Vehicle four days after launch. The Satellite Recovery Vehicle used by Discoverer 36 was SRV-525. Once its images had been returned, Discoverer 36 remained in orbit until it decayed on 8 March 1962.[4]
References
- ↑ Krebs, Gunter. "KH-3 Corona". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
- ↑ Lindborg, Christina; Pike, John (9 September 2000). "KH-3 Corona". Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
- ↑ Wade, Mark. "KH-3". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
- ↑ "Corona". Mission and Spacecraft Library. NASA. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
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Payloads are separated by bullets ( · ), launches by pipes ( | ). Manned flights are indicated in bold text. Uncatalogued launch failures are listed in italics. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are denoted in brackets. |
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