Discoverer 26

Discoverer 26

Operator	US Air Force/NRO
Major contractors	Lockheed
Bus	KH-2 Corona' Agena-B
Mission type	Optical reconnaissance
Launch date	7 July 1961 23:29:48 UTC
Carrier rocket	Thor DM-21 Agena-B 308
Launch site	Vandenberg LC-75-3-5
Mission duration	2 days
Orbital decay	5 December 1961
COSPAR ID	1961 Pi 1
Mass	1,150 kilograms (2,500 lb)
Orbital elements
Regime	Low Earth
Inclination	82.9°
Apoapsis	713 kilometres (443 mi)
Periapsis	229 kilometres (142 mi)
Orbital period	94 minutes

The launch of Discoverer 26

Discoverer 26, also known as Corona 9019, was an American optical reconnaissance satellite which was launched in 1961. It was a KH-2 Corona' satellite, based around an Agena-B.^[1]

The launch of Discoverer 26 occurred at 23:29:48 UTC on 7 July 1961. A Thor DM-21 Agena-B rocket was used, flying from Launch Complex 75-3-5 at the Vandenberg Air Force Base.^[2] Upon successfully reaching orbit, it was assigned the Harvard designation 1961 Pi 1.

Discoverer 26 was operated in a low Earth orbit, with a perigee of 229 kilometres (142 mi), an apogee of 713 kilometres (443 mi), 82.9 degrees of inclination, and a period of 94 minutes.^[3] The satellite had a mass of 1,150 kilograms (2,500 lb),^[4] 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).^[5] Images were recorded onto 70-millimetre (2.8 in) film, and returned in a Satellite Recovery Vehicle, which was deorbited two days after launch. The Satellite Recovery Vehicle used by Discoverer 26 was SRV-511. Once its images had been returned, Discoverer 26's mission was complete, and it remained in orbit until it decayed on 5 December 1961.^[3]

References

1. ^ Krebs, Gunter. "KH-2 Corona". Gunter's Space Page. http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/kh-2.htm. Retrieved 26 June 2010. 
2. ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. http://planet4589.org/space/log/launchlog.txt. Retrieved 26 June 2010. 
3. ^ ^{a b} McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. http://planet4589.org/space/log/satcat.txt. Retrieved 26 June 2010. 
4. ^ Wade, Mark. "KH-2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. http://www.astronautix.com/craft/kh2.htm. Retrieved 26 June 2010. 
5. ^ "Corona". Mission and Spacecraft Library. NASA. http://msl.jpl.nasa.gov/programs/corona.html. Retrieved 26 June 2010.