Samos 4

Samos 4 was an American reconnaissance satellite which was lost in a launch failure in 1961.

[1] It was a film-return reconnaissance spacecraft, meaning that it returned images in a film capsule at the end of its mission.

An Atlas LV-3A Agena-B rocket was used, flying from Launch Complex 1-1 at the Point Arguello Naval Air Station.

The rest of the flight proceeded nominally, but, by the time the second stage ignited, it had pitched up by 160 degrees and was hence facing in the wrong direction.

Its three-minute-41-second burn reduced the vehicle's velocity instead of increasing it, and as a result the satellite failed to achieve orbit.