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1959 · United States Air Force

Discoverer 2

successThor Agena A | Discoverer 2

Discoverer II successfully reached orbit and took photos of Earth. However, when the capsule with the data was ejected in order to re-enter the atmosphere there was a timer malfunction meaning it seperated too early and landed over the North Pole rather than the intended target of Hawaii. The capsule was never recovered.

Overview

Date / time
April 13, 1959 at 09:18 PM UTC
Outcome
success
Launch site
Space Launch Complex 1W
Mission
Discoverer 2
Mission type
Government/Top Secret
Orbit achieved
Polar Orbit
Launch vehicle
Thor Agena A →
Launch provider
United States Air Force →

Payloads deployed · 1

DISCOVERER 2
Payload