 | |
| Mission type | Optical reconnaissance |
|---|---|
| Operator | US Air Force / NRO |
| Harvard designation | 1959-U01 |
| SATCAT no. | F00068 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | CORONA KH-1 |
| Bus | Agena-A |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed |
| Launch mass | 870 kilograms (1,920 lb) after orbit insertion |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 25 Jun 1959 22:47:45 GMT |
| Rocket | Thor DM-21 Agena-A (Thor 179) |
| Launch site | Vandenberg LC 75-3-5 |
Discoverer 4, also known as Corona 9001,[1]: 236 was an American optical reconnaissance satellite launched on 25 Jun 1959 at 22:47:45 GMT, the first of ten operational flights of the Corona KH-1 spy satellite series, and the first satellite to be equipped for photo surveillance. The satellite was not successfully orbited. Its loss spurred improvements of its rocket booster to ensure the success of subsequent missions.
- ^ Day, Dwayne A.; Logsdon, John M.; Latell, Brian (1998). Eye in the Sky: The Story of the Corona Spy Satellites. Washington and London: Smithsonian Institution Press. ISBN 1-56098-830-4. OCLC 36783934.