Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-11-08
Satellite Put
In Polar Orbit
By Air Force
Planes Will Try
To Catch Capsule
Of Discoverer VII
AIR FORCE

DAO6, OdllI., NON. NAEJ. -
An Air Force satellite was put
into Polar orbit today.
Early this evening, the Air
Force announced that the 19-
foot second stage of the Dis
coverer VII satellite launched
at 1928 pm. EST attained an
orbit.
The satellite, from which the
Air Force hopes to recover a
300-pound capsule tomorrow,
was picked up by tracing
stations in Alaska at Asst pm,
as it neared the completion of
its first circuit of the earth.
The Air Force said prelimi-
nary information indicated the
satellite is travelling in a path
which takes it 500 miles high
at the peak, and 104 miles at
the lowest point of orbit.
Signals Loud and Clear
Time for completion of one
orbit Is IS minutes.
Radio signals from the
satellite are loud and clear, "
the Air Force announced.
AS in five previous Discov-
erer shots, the second stage of
the vehicle was to eject its
capsule 26 hours after launch
ing. Thai, would be late Sum
day afternoon. Clio Flying
Boxcars equipped with trapeze-
like devices then were to go
aloft and try to catch the para
chuting capsule near Hawaii.
Previous attempts at such a re-
covery have failed.
1t was hoped that this seventh
shot in the Discoverer series
could'be tabled Lucky Seven"
The contents of the capsule
are secret, but the Air Force
said it contained no animal
life. Monkeys are expected to go
aloft in such enclosures later in
the series.
Ships Standing BY
If planes are unable to catch
the falling capsule, Navy ships
will be standing by to try to
pluck the heavily Instrumental
package from the sea. There
is radio inside the capsule
which is supposed to send out
signals to give the planes and
ships an idea Of the capsules
whereabouts.
Technical problems have
bounded the Discoverer series.
The first Discoverer, not de-
signed to eject a capsule, went
into orbit all right, but a stab
ilizing device failed and it be-
gan tumbling end over end.
Discoverer II elected its cap
sule in the wrong place-over
the Arctic.
DISCOVERIES III and Nv didn't
achieve orbit. And the capsules
in DISCOVERIES v and VI-both
launched in August-failed to
send out any signals, so were
never recovered.
Today's launching, accom-
plished in perfect weather. was
a fine one to watch. The skies
were a vivid blue and the pro-
jectile could be followed easily
as it climbed. The rocket rose
smoothly. then headed south.
Ship Waits in Path
For the first time in the
Discoverer series, the Navy has
an Instrumentation ship bet
ween Hawaii and Alaska, under
the satellites path waiting for
the capsule to be elected.
The range ship Private Joe E.
Mann, previously stationed
1000 miles south of here, will
be in position to record tele-
metered data about the be-
havior of the satellite and its
payload. The USS King County
has replaces the Joe E. Mann
down range.
Tape recordings of signals
received aboard each ship will
be sealed in special containers
and attached to a cable strung
from the ships mast to a trail
ing sea anchor. A low-flying
plane will try to hook the cable
and believer the tape recordings
to scientists ashore.