Discoverer 36, also known as Corona 9029, was an American optical reconnaissance satellite which was launched in 1961. It was a KH-3 Corona satellite, based on an Agena-B rocket.[1] It was the penultimate KH-3 satellite to be launched, the last successful mission, and the most successful of the program.[2]
Discoverer 36 was operated in a low Earth orbit, with a perigee of 223 kilometres (139 mi), an apogee of 445 kilometres (277 mi), 81.1 degrees of inclination, and a period of 91.2 minutes.[4] The satellite had a mass of 1,150 kilograms (2,540 lb),[5] and was equipped with a panoramic camera with a focal length of 61 centimetres (24 in), which had a maximum resolution of 7.6 metres (25 ft).[6] Images were recorded onto 70-millimeter (2.8 in) film, and returned in a Satellite Recovery Vehicle four days after launch.[7] The Satellite Recovery Vehicle used by Discoverer 36 was SRV-525. Once its images had been returned, Discoverer 36 remained in orbit until it decayed on 8 March 1962.[4]
References
^Krebs, Gunter. "KH-3 Corona". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
Payloads are separated by bullets ( · ), launches by pipes ( | ). Crewed flights are indicated in underline. Uncatalogued launch failures are listed in italics. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are denoted in (brackets).
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