Discoverer 6 was the sixth in a series of reconnaissance satellites, however, it failed to return its capsule when the retrorocket failed to deorbit the capsule. August 19, 1959 at 19:24 UTC · Launch Successful Thor Agena A — United States Air Force, to Polar Orbit Space Launch Complex 1E, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA The world's 46th orbital launch attempt, and 15th of 1959. Data: Launch Library 2, The Space Devs.