The primary goal of the satellites was to replace the U-2 spyplane in surveilling the Sino-Soviet Bloc, determining the disposition and speed of production of Soviet missiles and long-range bombers assess.

The KH-1 payload included the C (for Corona) single, vertical-looking, panoramic camera that scanned back and forth, exposing its film at a right angle to the line of flight.

The SRV was equipped with an onboard small solid-fuel retro motor to deorbit at the end of the mission.

Telemetry on the ground indicated that the temperature inside the satellite was abnormally low, and that the film had never loaded itself into the camera.

[8] CORONA achieved its first fully successful flight with the mission of Discoverer 14, launched on August 18, 1960.

[1]: 245  CORONA was declassified in 1995,[1]: 14  and a formal acknowledgement of the existence of US reconnaissance programs, past and present, was issued in September 1996.