A Thor DM-21 Agena-B rocket was used, flying from Launch Complex 75-3-4 at the Vandenberg Air Force Base.

[2] Upon successfully reaching orbit, it was assigned the Harvard designation 1961 Alpha Zeta 1.

[3] The satellite had a mass of 2,100 kilograms (4,600 lb),[4] and was equipped with a panoramic camera with a focal length of 61 centimetres (24 in), which had a maximum resolution of 7.6 metres (25 ft).

[5] Images were recorded onto 70-millimeter (2.8 in) film, and returned in a Satellite Recovery Vehicle just over a day after launch.

Apart from the presence of some emulsion on the images it returned, Discoverer 35 completed its mission successfully.