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    You are at:Home»February»February 28»History Short: America’s First Spy Satellite, A Failure!
    February 28

    History Short: America’s First Spy Satellite, A Failure!

    Major DanBy Major DanFebruary 28, 2023No Comments2 Mins Read
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    Discoverer 1

    A Brief History

    On February 28, 1959, a Thor-Agena A rocket was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, carrying a spy satellite designated Discoverer 1, the first in a spy satellite program of the American military and intelligence network.

    Digging Deeper

    Discoverer 1 was intended as the first ever satellite to orbit the Earth via the poles rather than on an equatorial orbit, and was part of the CORONA program.  Actually a testbed, Discoverer 1 was not equipped with the camera and film that later satellites of the KH-1 type would carry.

    Unfortunately, the star-crossed spacecraft failed in its mission and is believed to have crashed somewhere in the area of the South Pole.  Later launches would prove more successful, with the photographic reconnaissance satellites taking pictures of the Soviet Union and dropping film capsules all the way from space back to Earth for recovery by photographic analysts.

    Satellite reconnaissance was vital to US security with the advent of ICBMs and the need to keep track of Soviet missiles, the intel community being well aware that our manned recon airplanes such as the U-2 would quickly become a non-viable reconnaissance option.

    Question for students (and subscribers): What is your favorite space program so far?  Please let us know in the comments section below this article.

    If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons!

    Your readership is much appreciated!

    Historical Evidence

    For more information, please see…

    Day, Dwayne. Eye in the Sky: The Story of the Corona Spy Satellites. Smithsonian Books, 1999.

    Peebles, Curtiss. The Corona Project: America’s First Spy Satellites. Naval Institute Press, 1997.

    The featured image in this article, a photograph of Discoverer 1 satellite, before launch, is a work of a U.S. Air Force Airman or employee, taken or made as part of that person’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image or file is in the public domain in the United States.

    You can also watch video versions of this article on YouTube.

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    Major Dan

    Major Dan is a retired veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He served during the Cold War and has traveled to many countries around the world. Prior to his military service, he graduated from Cleveland State University, having majored in sociology. Following his military service, he worked as a police officer eventually earning the rank of captain prior to his retirement.

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