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Discoverer 32

US Air Force/NRO

1961 Alpha Gamma 1

1961-027A

00189

1 day

KH-3 Corona'''

Agena-B

Lockheed

1,150 kilograms (2,540 lb)

13 October 1961, 19:22 (1961-10-13UTC19:22Z) UTC

Thor DM-21 Agena-B 328

Vandenberg LC-75-3-4

13 November 1961 (1961-11-14)

Geocentric

Low Earth

233 kilometers (145 mi)

350 kilometers (220 mi)

81.6 degrees

90.3 minutes

Discoverer 32, also known as Corona 9025, was an American optical reconnaissance satellite which was launched in 1961. It was a KH-3 Corona''' satellite, based on an Agena-B.^[1]

The launch of Discoverer 32 occurred at 19:22 UTC on 13 October 1961. A Thor DM-21 Agena-B rocket was used, flying from Launch Complex 75-3-4 at the Vandenberg Air Force Base.^[2] Upon successfully reaching orbit, it was assigned the Harvard designation 1961 Alpha Gamma 1.

Discoverer 32 was operated in a low Earth orbit, with a perigee of 233 kilometres (145 mi), an apogee of 350 kilometres (220 mi), 81.6 degrees of inclination, and a period of 90.3 minutes.^[3] The satellite had a mass of 1,150 kilograms (2,540 lb),^[4] 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).^[5] Images were recorded onto 70-millimeter (2.8 in) film, and returned in a Satellite Recovery Vehicle, which was deorbited one day after launch. The Satellite Recovery Vehicle used by Discoverer 32 was SRV-555. Following the return of its images, Discoverer 32 remained in orbit until it decayed on 13 November 1961.^[3] Most of the images it produced were found to have been out of focus.^[6]

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