1961-001B
SAMOS 2 (Agena 2102), in January 1961, was one of the few successful missions, but its photos were disappointing. Orbit mass of SAMOS and Agena totalled 1915 kg. SAMOS 2 was part of the Program 101 series. The third Program 101 satellite, Agena 2103, was used mainly for engine static firings.
The satellite was another combined E-1/F-1 payload. The E-1 payload was mounted underneath F-1 and had a small field of view while F-1 obstructed it. F-1 was ejected to improve the field of view: this may have caused loss of contact with the vehicle.
| SAMOS 2 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 Jan 31 | 2021:19 | Launch by Atlas Agena A | NMFPA |
| 2023:42 | BECO (T+2:23) | ||
| 2025:18 | SECO (T+3:59) | ||
| 2025:37 | VECO (T+4:18) | ||
| 2025:39 | Atlas sep (T+4:20) | ||
| T+4:35 Nose cone ejected | |||
| T+4:35 Horizon scanner fairings ejected | |||
| 2029:36 | Agena burn (T+8:17) | ||
| 2031:33 | Agena MECO (T+10:14) | 480 x 576 x ? (VCR) | |
| 1961 Feb 2? | Ferret payload ejected on orbit 21 | ||
| End of transmissions | |||
| 1961 Feb 2 | 94.91 474 x 554 x 97.4 | ||
| 1961 Mar 28 | 94.89 474 x 552 x 97.4 | ||
| 1967 Apr 5 | 94.53 463 x 528 x 97.3 | ||
| 1971 Dec 15 | 92.62 386 x 418 x 97.2 | ||
| 1973 Jun 28 | 90.62 298 x 311 x 97.2 | ||
| 1973 Oct 21 | Reentered | ||
Payload:
- E-1 payload, Kodak SAMOS camera
- E-1 SAMOS radio transmission system
- F-1 ferret payload
- Cosmic ray detector
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