KH-3

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Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Destination: Surveillance Orbit. Nation: USA. Agency: U.S. Air Force. Manufacturer: Lockheed.

Early US reconnaissance satellite. Carried one 'C-Double Prime' panoramic camera, with a focal length of 61 cm and a ground resolution of 7.6 m.

Typical orbit: 205 x 457 km, 83.1 deg inclinaton. Mass: 1,250 kg (2,750 lb).

KH-3 Chronology

1961 August 30 - Discoverer 29 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC1W. Launch Vehicle: Delta. Mass: 1,150 kg (2,530 lb). Perigee: 152 km (94 mi). Apogee: 542 km (336 mi). Inclination: 82.10 deg. Period: 91.50 min.
KH-3; film capsule recovered 2.1 days later. First use of KH-3 camera system. All frames out of focus.

1961 September 12 - Discoverer 30 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC1E. Launch Vehicle: Delta. Mass: 1,150 kg (2,530 lb). Perigee: 219 km (136 mi). Apogee: 557 km (346 mi). Inclination: 82.50 deg. Period: 92.30 min.
KH-3; film capsule recovered 2.1 days later. Best mission to date. Same out-of-focus condition as in 9023.

1961 September 17 - Discoverer 31 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC2E. Launch Vehicle: Delta. Mass: 1,150 kg (2,530 lb). Perigee: 231 km (143 mi). Apogee: 403 km (250 mi). Inclination: 82.60 deg. Period: 90.80 min.
KH-3; film capsule recovery failed. Mission failed. Power failure and loss of control gas on orbit 33.

1961 October 13 - Discoverer 32 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC1W. Launch Vehicle: Delta. Mass: 1,150 kg (2,530 lb). Perigee: 233 km (144 mi). Apogee: 391 km (242 mi). Inclination: 81.60 deg. Period: 90.70 min.
KH-3; film capsule recovered 1.1 days later. Capsule recovered on orbit 18. 96% of film out of focus.

1961 October 23 - SRV 513 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC1E. Launch Vehicle: Delta. FAILURE: Failure.

1961 October 23 - Discoverer 33 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC1E. Launch Vehicle: Delta. FAILURE: Failure. Mass: 1,150 kg (2,530 lb).
KH-3; Mission failed.

1961 November 5 - SRV 553 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC2E. Launch Vehicle: Delta.

1961 November 5 - Discoverer 34 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC2E. Launch Vehicle: Delta. Mass: 1,150 kg (2,530 lb). Perigee: 231 km (143 mi). Apogee: 859 km (533 mi). Inclination: 82.40 deg. Period: 95.60 min.
KH-3; film capsule recovery not attempted. Mission failed. Improper launch angle resulted in extreme orbit.

1961 November 15 - Discoverer 35 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC1W. Launch Vehicle: Delta. Mass: 2,100 kg (4,600 lb). Perigee: 238 km (147 mi). Apogee: 278 km (172 mi). Inclination: 81.60 deg. Period: 89.70 min.
KH-3; film capsule recovered 1.1 days later. All cameras operated satisfactorily. Grainy emulsion noted.

1961 December 12 - Discoverer 36 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC1W. Launch Vehicle: Delta. Mass: 1,150 kg (2,530 lb). Perigee: 131 km (81 mi). Apogee: 173 km (107 mi). Inclination: 89.50 deg. Period: 87.50 min.
KH-3; film capsule recovered 4.1 days later. Best mission to date.

1962 January 13 - SRV 571 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC1W. Launch Vehicle: Delta. FAILURE: Failure.

1962 January 13 - Discoverer 37 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC1W. Launch Vehicle: Delta. FAILURE: Failure. Mass: 1,150 kg (2,530 lb).
KH-3. Mission failed. Last attempted flight of KH-3 series.

Bibliography:

McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page (launch records), Harvard University, 1997-present. Web Address when accessed: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.
JPL Mission and Spacecraft Library, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1997. Web Address when accessed: http://msl.jpl.nasa.gov/home.html.
Bramscher, Robert G, Spaceflight, "A Survey of Launch Vehicle Failures", 1980, Volume 22, page 351.
McDowell, Jonathan, Launch Log, October 1998. Web Address when accessed: http://hea-www.harvard.edu/~jcm/space/log/launch.html.

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