Discoverer 30

Discoverer 30

Operator	US Air Force/NRO
Major contractors	Lockheed
Bus	KH-3 Corona''' Agena-B
Mission type	Optical reconnaissance
Launch date	12 September 1961 19:59 UTC
Carrier rocket	Thor DM-21 Agena-B 310
Launch site	Vandenberg LC-75-3-5
Mission duration	2 days
Orbital decay	11 December 1961
COSPAR ID	1961 Omega 1
Mass	1,150 kilograms (2,500 lb)
Orbital elements
Regime	Low Earth
Inclination	82.6°
Apoapsis	484 kilometres (301 mi)
Periapsis	231 kilometres (144 mi)
Orbital period	91.7 minutes

The launch of Discoverer 30

Discoverer 30, also known as Corona 9022, was an American optical reconnaissance satellite which was launched in 1961. It was a KH-3 Corona''' satellite, based around an Agena-B.^[1]

The launch of Discoverer 30 occurred at 19:59 UTC on 12 September 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 Omega 1.

Discoverer 30 was operated in a low Earth orbit, with a perigee of 231 kilometres (144 mi), an apogee of 484 kilometres (301 mi), 82.6 degrees of inclination, and a period of 91.7 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 two days after launch however, like the previous mission, all of the images returned were found to be out of focus.^[4] The Satellite Recovery Vehicle used by Discoverer 30 was SRV-551. Once its images had been returned, Discoverer 30's mission was complete, and it remained in orbit until its decay on 11 December 1961.^[3]

References

1. ^ Krebs, Gunter. "KH-3 Corona". Gunter's Space Page. http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/kh-3.htm. Retrieved 29 June 2010. 
2. ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. http://planet4589.org/space/log/launchlog.txt. Retrieved 29 June 2010. 
3. ^ ^{a b} McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. http://planet4589.org/space/log/satcat.txt. Retrieved 29 June 2010. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Wade, Mark. "KH-3". Encyclopedia Astronautica. http://www.astronautix.com/craft/kh3.htm. Retrieved 29 June 2010. 
5. ^ "Corona". Mission and Spacecraft Library. NASA. http://msl.jpl.nasa.gov/programs/corona.html. Retrieved 29 June 2010.