Discoverer 14 was a U.S. spy satellite utilized in the Corona program, overseen by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) of the Department of Defense and the United States Air Force. On August 19, 1960, usable photographic film images of the Soviet Union taken by the satellite were retrieved by a C-119 recovery aircraft. This marked the first successful recovery of film from an orbiting satellite and the first mid-air recovery of an object returning from Earth orbit.
 |
| Photo: An illustration depicting the technique used to recover the returning space capsule from Discoverer 14. This satellite was the first to carry cameras and film. |
 |
| A Discoverer 14 launch cover from "Goldcraft", postmarked at Vandenberg Air Force Base with a machine cancel on August 18, 1960. |
 |
| A Discoverer 14 launch cover from "H.Flick", postmarked at Vandenberg Air Force Base with a machine cancel on August 18, 1960. |
 |
| Photo: An image of a modified C-119 cargo plane equipped with trailing recovery gear. |
 |
| A Discoverer 14 recovery cover from “Goldcraft” featuring an illustration depicting the dramatic mid-air recovery of the Discoverer 14 capsule, postmarked at Vandenberg Air Force Base with a machine cancel on August 19, 1960. |
 |
| A Discoverer 14 recovery cover from "Ted Holden", postmarked at Vandenberg Air Force Base with a machine cancel on August 19, 1960. |
(Reference from
Discoverer 14)
