Sat, Feb 28, 1959, 9:49 PM (your time) · Space Launch Complex 1W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
About Discoverer 1
Discoverer I was the first of a series of satellites part of the CORONA reconnaissance program. This satellite didn't take a camera or film system as it was intended as a test. There were issues communicating with the satellite during flight with only intermittent signals being read.
Orbital Attempt
#34
USAF Mission
#1
Pad Launch
#1
Location Launch
#1
Designator
1959-002
Thor-Agena was a series of orbital launch vehicles. The rockets used Thor first stages and Agena second stages. They are thus cousins of the more-famous Thor-Deltas, which founded the Delta rocket family.
Length
28 m
Diameter
2.44 m
Launch Mass
53 t
Thrust
667 kN
Capacity
250 kg
Launch Cost
$11M
Reusable
No
Maiden Flight
1959
Fastest Turnaround
6d
Total Launches
15
Successful
9
Failed
6
Consecutive Success
3
Maiden flight: Jan 21, 1959
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal Corps, the USAF was established as a separate branch of the United States Armed Forces in 1947 with the enactment of the National Security Act of 1947.
Founded
1947
Administrator
Commander-in-Chief: President of the US
Total Launches
1,078
Successful
972
Failed
106
Pending
0
Consecutive Success
68
Space Launch Complex 1 West (SLC-1W) was a launch pad at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, United States. It was built in 1958 for the never activated 75th Strategic Missile Squadron for Thor Agena A launches.
Total Launches
56
Orbital Attempts
56
Fastest Turnaround
13d 1h
Vandenberg Space Force Base is a United States Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. Established in 1941, Vandenberg Space Force Base is a space launch base, launching spacecraft from the Western Range, and also performs missile testing. The United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 30 serves as the host delta for the base, equivalent to an Air Force air base wing. In addition to its military space launch mission, Vandenberg Space Force Base also hosts space launches for civil and commercial space entities, such as NASA and SpaceX.
Timezone
America/Los_Angeles
Local Launch Time
Feb 28, 1959, 1:49 PM
Total Launches
922
Total Landings
37
Coordinates
34.7513, -120.5202
Watching in person?Viewing guide for Vandenberg SFB
Feb 28, 1959, 9:49 PM
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