Discoverer 38

  1962-005A

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The first orbital MURAL flight was Mission 9031 (CORONA 38). The SRV was deorbited on Mar 3; the heatshield failed to separate after reentry, but the SRV was nevertheless successfully recovered in mid-air over the Pacific. The photos were slightly out of focus. Three debris objects were cataloged, probably prompting a memo several weeks later in NRO which noted that NORAD was detecting the camera doors, ejected after the vehicle reached orbit. Later in the program, the doors would be ejected during ascent to prevent this, probably because CIA was worried the USAF space trackers would realize the objects meant that cameras were being carried (not that anyone reading Aviation Week was in much doubt...).

KH-4 Mission 9031
Date	Time	Event	Orbit
1962 Feb 27	1939:20	Launch by Thor Agena B	V Pad 4
	1941	Thor MECO (T+2:29)
	1941	Thor VECO (T+2:39)
	1941	Thor sep (T+2:48)
	1942:36	Agena burn (T+3:16)
		Thor apogee 198 km 3042 m/s	-5834 x 197
	1946:42	Agena cutoff (T+7:22)	205 x 405 x ? (VCR)
1962 Feb 28	0410		90.61 200 x 409 x 81.75
	1746		90.52 207 x 392 x 82.23
1962 Mar 3	2205?	SRV ejected on rev 65
1962 Mar 3	2240?	SRV recovered over Pacific
1962 Mar 4	1218		90.41 207 x 382 x 82.23
1962 Mar 7	1537		90.16 207 x 357 x 82.23
1962 Mar 9	1900		90.04 208 x 341 x 82.2 (RAE)
1962 Mar 13	1200		89.71 208 x 308 x 82.2 (RAE)
1962 Mar 20	0932		88.32 182 x 201 x 82.23
1962 Mar 21		CORONA/Agena reentered