Discoverer 34

DISCOVERER 34, also known as CORONA 9027, was a United States optical reconnaissance satellite which was launched on 5 November 1961. It was the ninth of ten CORONA KH-2 satellites, based on the Agena B.^[3]

DISCOVERER 34

CORONA KH-2 satellite
Names	CORONA 9027 DISCOVERER XXXIV
Mission type	Optical reconnaissance
Operator	U.S. Air Force / NRO
Harvard designation	1961 Alpha Epsilon 1
COSPAR ID	1961-029A
SATCAT no.	00197
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	DISCOVERER XXXIV
Spacecraft type	CORONA KH-2
Bus	Agena B
Manufacturer	Lockheed Corporation
Launch mass	1,150 kg (2,540 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	5 November 1961, 20:00:30 GMT[1]
Rocket	Thor-Agena B (Thor 330 / Agena 1117)
Launch site	Vandenberg, LC-75-1-1
Contractor	Douglas Aircraft Company / Lockheed Corporation
Entered service	5 November 1961
End of mission
Decay date	7 December 1962
Landing date	SRV 553
Landing site	Not attempted
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric orbit[2]
Regime	Low Earth orbit
Perigee altitude	227 km (141 mi)
Apogee altitude	1,011 km (628 mi)
Inclination	82.70°
Period	97.20 minutes
DISCOVERER ← Discoverer 33 Discoverer 35 → CORONA KH-2 ← CORONA 9026 CORONA 9028 →

Launch

Launch of DISCOVERER 34

The launch of DISCOVERER 34 occurred at 20:00:30 GMT on 5 November 1961.^[1] A Thor-Agena B launch vehicle was used, flying from Launch Complex 75-1-1 at the Vandenberg Air Force Base.^[1] Although the satellite achieved orbit, and was assigned the Harvard designation 1961 Alpha Epsilon 1, the launch was unsuccessful. An anomalous angle taken during ascent resulted in the spacecraft being placed into an unusable orbit.^[4] It was the second consecutive KH-2 launch failure; the previous mission, Discoverer 33, had failed to achieve orbit due to a separation failure.

DISCOVERER 34 was launched into a low Earth orbit, with a perigee of 227 km (141 mi), an apogee of 1,011 km (628 mi), 82.7° of inclination, and a period of 97.20 minutes.^[2] The satellite had a mass of 1,150 kg (2,540 lb),^[5] and was equipped with a panoramic camera with a focal length of 61 cm (24 in), which had a maximum resolution of 7.6 m (25 ft).^[6] Images were to have been recorded onto 70 mm (2.8 in) film, and returned in a Satellite Recovery Vehicle (SRV). The Satellite Recovery Vehicle to be used by DISCOVERER 34 was SRV-553. Due to the launch failure, and a problem with a gas valve on the spacecraft, recovery of the SRV was not attempted.^[4] Discoverer 34 decayed from orbit on 7 December 1962.^[2]