The first manmade satellite which the United States successfully
recovered was Discoverer 13, which was launched on August 10, 1960.
This came after the failures of missions Discoverer 1 through
Discoverer 12.
"The Discoverer-13 capsule was launched atop a Thor-Agena rocket from
Vandenberg AFB on August 10, 1960, and recovered after 17 orbits by
the USAF's 6594th Test Group near the Hawaiian Islands. It was the
first successful mission of the Discoverer program following twelve
consecutive failures."
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
http://www.nasm.si.edu/nasm/dsh/artifacts/MS-discover.htm
"While the U-2s were hunting ICBMs, the fledgling US space
reconnaissance program struggled along, underfunded and ignored. Then
the Soviets launched Sputnik, and attitudes changed overnight. By late
November 1957, Pied Piper funding quadrupled. In January 1958,
Eisenhower approved reorientation of the program towards a simpler
reentry capsule approach that seemed more promising in the short term.
The government depicted this new program, code-named Corona and later
known as Discoverer in public news releases, as a scientific research
program.
Discoverer used the Thor intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM)
as the booster and the Lockheed Agena upper stage. Launching into
polar orbit allowed photographs of the whole Soviet landmass.
Discoverer carried a reentry/recovery capsule designed to detach,
deorbit, and be recovered at sea or by an airborne capture method. The
new Discoverer satellite first flew on 28 February 1959 from
Vandenberg Air Force Base (AFB) using the Thor-Agena A in the first
test of the WS-117L program. The flight failed when the stabilization
system malfunctioned. The Discoverer program's first success came with
Discoverer 13 which was launched 10 August 1960 with no
instrumentation aboard. It made 17 orbits and reentered smoothly. US
Navy frogmen retrieved it near Hawaii after the recovery aircraft
missed the parachute. Discoverer 13 was the first man-made object
recovered from space."
Maxwell Air Force Base: Air University
http://www.au.af.mil/au/aul/school/awc/au18003c.htm
Here is a brief history of the Discoverer program up to Discoverer 13:
"Discoverer 1 was launched on Feb 28, 1959 presumably using a Thor
rocket from an Air Force base on the West Coast. Discoverer 1 tumbled
in orbit and stayed in orbit for five days.
Discoverer 2 was launched on Apr 13, 1959 presumably using a Thor
rocket from an Air Force base on the West Coast. Both Discoverer 1 and
2 were the first satellites to be placed into polar orbits. Discoverer
2 ejected its capsule but something went wrong with its timing
devices.
Discoverer 3 failed to reach orbit.
Discoverer 4 failed to reach orbit.
Discoverer 5 was launched on Aug 13, 1959. It ejected its capsule but
the transmitter in the capsule failed to work.
Discoverer 6 was launched on Aug 19, 1959. It ejected its capsule but
the transmitter in the capsule failed to work.
Discoverer 7 was launched on Nov 7, 1959. Recovery of its capsule was
not accomplished.
Discoverer 8 was launched on Nov 20, 1959. Recovery of its capsule was
not accomplished.
Discoverer 9 did not reach orbit.
Discoverer 10 did not reach orbit.
Discoverer 11 was launched on Apr 15, 1960. Recovery of its capsule
was not accomplished.
Discoverer 12 failed to reach orbit.
Discoverer 13 was launched Aug 10, 1960 with no instrumentation
aboard. After making 17 orbits, it reentered smoothly and was
retrieved near Hawaii. Discoverer 13 was the first man-made object
recovered from space."
Space Covers
http://spacecovers.com/pricelists/categories/category_satellites.htm
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