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United States Air ForceLaunch SuccessfulGovernment/Top SecretThor Agena A
Launched 1959-04-13 21:18:39 UTCSpace Launch Complex 1W, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Success
Reached Polar Orbit
Worldwide
5th
orbital launch attempt in 1959
United States Air Force
2nd
launch this year
Space Launch Complex 1W
2nd
launch from this pad this year
Pad turnaround
43 d 23 h
since the pad's previous launch
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.
Launch Provider
Government · United States of America · Founded 1947 · Commander-in-Chief President of the US
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.
Launches
1,078
Successful
972
90%
Upcoming
0
scheduled
Height
28m
Diameter
2.4m
To low Earth orbit
250kg
Liftoff thrust
667kN
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