Thor Agena A | Discoverer 11

Discoverer 11 was an American optical reconnaissance satellite. The eighth of ten operational flights of the Corona KH-1 spy satellite series, it successfully employed the first space-worthy camera film; however, Discoverer's film return capsule was lost during reentry on 16 Apr when the satellite's spin motors exploded.

Mission Details

  • Launch date: April 15, 1960 at 08:30 PM UTC
  • Launch vehicle: Thor Agena A
  • Operator: United States Air Force
  • Launch site: Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
  • Mission type: Government/Top Secret