| Mission type | Reconnaissance |
|---|---|
| Operator | United States Air Force |
| Harvard designation | 1961 Alpha 1 |
| COSPAR ID | 1961-001A |
| SATCAT no. | 00070 |
| Mission duration | 1 month |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Samos-E1 |
| Bus | Agena-A |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | January 31, 1961, 20:31:19 UTC |
| Rocket | Atlas LV-3A Agena-A 70D |
| Launch site | Point Arguello LC-1-1 |
| End of mission | |
| Decay date | October 21, 1973 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Sun-synchronous Low Earth |
| Perigee altitude | 474 kilometers (295 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 553 kilometers (344 mi) |
| Inclination | 97.4 degrees |
| Period | 94.9 minutes |
Samos 2 was an American reconnaissance satellite launched in 1961 as part of the Samos program. It was an early electro-optical reconnaissance spacecraft, meaning that it transmitted images to receiving stations on Earth rather than returning them in a film capsule. Samos 2 was a Samos-E1 spacecraft, based on an Agena-A.[1]
The launch of Samos 2 occurred at 20:31:19 UTC on January 31, 1961. An Atlas LV-3A Agena-A rocket was used, flying from Launch Complex 1-1 at the Point Arguello Naval Air Station.[2] Ten minutes and fourteen seconds later, the Agena's engine cut off, having successfully achieved a low Earth orbit.[3] It was assigned the Harvard designation 1961 Alpha 1.
Samos 2 operated in a Sun-synchronous low Earth orbit, with an apogee of 553 kilometres (344 mi), a perigee of 474 kilometres (295 mi), an inclination of 97.4 degrees, and a period of 94.9 minutes.[4] The satellite had a mass of 1,915 kilograms (4,222 lb),[3] and measured 6.86 metres (22.5 ft) in length, with a diameter of 1.52 metres (5 ft 0 in).[5] It operated successfully, but the images returned were poor.[6] Designed to operate for around ten days,[1] it ceased operations around a month after launch,[3] and decayed from orbit on October 21, 1973.[4]
- ^ a b Krebs, Gunter. "Samos E-1". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
- ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
- ^ a b c McDowell, Jonathan. "SAMOS 2". The History of Spaceflight. Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
- ^ a b McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
- ^ "Pioneer/Samos-A". FAS. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
- ^ Wade, Mark. "Samos". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on January 16, 2010. Retrieved June 17, 2010.