A Thor DM-21 Agena-B rocket was used, flying from launch pad 75-3-5 at the Vandenberg Air Force Base.

[3] Upon successfully reaching orbit, it was assigned the Harvard designation 1961 Lambda 1.

[4] The satellite had a mass of 1,150 kilograms (2,540 lb),[5] and was equipped with a frame camera with a focal length of 76 millimetres (3.0 in), which had a maximum resolution of 140 metres (460 ft).

[6] Images were recorded onto 127 millimetres (5.0 in) film, and ejected aboard a Satellite Return Vehicle, SRV-521.

Due to a problem with Discoverer 23's attitude control system, the SRV ended up boosting itself into a higher orbit rather than deorbiting.