Beskrivning : The Discoverer 7 spacecraft consisted of a main satellite body and a
separable reentry vehicle containing a recovery capsule. It was designed
to test launching techniques, propulsion, communications, orbital performance, engineering, and recovery techniques. The spacecraft was put into a near-polar orbit by the Thor-Agena A booster, but the power supply
inverter providing electricity to the control system did not operate
correctly, and Discoverer 7 began tumbling after launch. The reentry
vehicle failed to separate from the spacecraft.