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Discoverer 29, 31, & 34
Mission Overview
The Discoverer series of satellites consisted of a ~ 1000 kg cylindrical body
with a conical top. The cylinder was 1.52 m in diameter and 7.62 m high. The
scientific unit was 0.84 m diameter and 0.69 m high. They were all put into
orbits with a 90-95 minute period (~225 km perigee, ~550 km apogee,~82 degrees
inclination). Typically, after 30-35 orbits, the scientific units would be
jettisoned from the main spacecraft body and would be recovered after
splashdown. While mostly classified military missions, several Discoverers
are known to have contained scientific X-ray counters.
Discoverer 29 (1961 Psi) was launched 30 August 1961, by the U.S. Air
Force Ballistic Missile Division into a low altitude polar orbit
(apogee 345 miles, perigee 140 miles, inclination 82.1 deg) with an
orbit period of 91.6 min. The program objectives were to test a system
of better orbital control of the Agena B launch vehicle and to collect
scientific data concerning electrons, x-rays, and galactic RF
radiation. In addition, several biological specimens were exposed to
the environment of space while making 33 orbits of the earth. The science
unit jettisoned after these 33 orbits and was recovered near Hawaii on 4
September 1961. The spacecraft decayed from orbit and was recovered on
10 September 1961, from the sea. Information concerning the success of the
spacecraft is unknown.
Discoverer 31 was launched on 17 September 1961. The science unit failed to
jettison. The spacecraft reentered the atmosphere on 26 October 1961.
Discoverer 34 (1961 Alpha Epsilon), launched 5 November 1961, was a 1700-lb
(capsule-300 lb) spacecraft whose payload was not disclosed, but was probably
similar to Discoverer 29 (launched 30 August 1961). The spacecraft was
launched by the U.S. Air Force Ballistic Missile Division into a polar
orbit (apogee 614 miles, perigee 140 miles, inclination 82.6 deg) with
a period of 96.9 min. The science capsule failed to jettison properly and
the spacecraft fell silent on 7 December 1962. It was still in orbit
as of 1966. The spacecraft was to implement evaluation of design reliability
and accuracy of the spacecraft orbit, capsule re-entry, and recovery. The
spacecraft was also one of a series used to support space program
experiments.
[All Missions]
[by Time]
[by Energy]
Page authors: Lorella Angelini Jesse Allen
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Last modified: Thursday, 26-Jun-2003 13:48:16 EDT
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