Courier 1B
Courier 1 satellite | |
| Mission type | Communications |
|---|---|
| Operator | US Army / ARPA |
| Harvard designation | 1960 NU 1 |
| COSPAR ID | 1960-013A |
| SATCAT no. | 00058 |
| Mission duration | 17 days (achieved) 64 years, 8 months and 16 days (in orbit) |
| Orbits completed | 1000 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | Western Development Labs, division of Philco |
| Launch mass | 225 kg |
| Power | 60 watts |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 4 October 1960, 17:45:00 GMT |
| Rocket | Thor-Able-Star |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral, LC-17B |
| Contractor | Douglas / Aerojet |
| End of mission | |
| Last contact | 21 October 1960 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Perigee altitude | 938 km |
| Apogee altitude | 1237 km |
| Inclination | 28.33° |
| Period | 106.8 minutes |
| Epoch | 4 October 1960 |
Courier 1B, is the world's first active repeater communications satellite, Courier 1B was successfully launched on October 4, 1960 at 17:45:00 GMT from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The first Courier satellite in Project Courier, Courier 1A, was lost 2.5 minutes after lift-off on August 18, 1960.