Courier

  1960-013

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Courier was the first satellite to demonstrate active repeater communications in orbit. The Courier program was transferred from ARPA to the Dept. of the Army on 1960 Sep 15.

Mass was 225 kg. 

The second burn would have given a dV of about 0.36 km/s, so SECO-1 orbit probably had a somewhat negative perigee.

Courier
Date	Time	Event	Orbit
1960 Oct 4	1958	Launch by Thor Ablestar	CC LC17
		T+2:44 Thor MECO
		T+2:45? Ablestar SES-1
		T+3:44 Fairing
	2005	T+7:38 Ablestar SECO-1 over 65W 27N	-100? x 938 x 28.3
	2038	T+40:06 Ablestar SES-2 over 35E 15S
	2038	T+40:15 Ablestar SECO-2
	2038	Ablestar sep	938 x 1237 x 28.33
1960 Oct 22		End of operations