During the Corona program, when was the first film canister successfully recovered?

• A. August 1960
• B. August 1965
• C. May 1958
• D. October 1962

Answer: (A)

This question hinges on when the Corona program first proved that its film-return system could actually bring the imagery back to Earth. The milestone date is August 1960, when the film canister was successfully recovered after reentry. That moment showed the entire concept worked in practice—camera film deployed in orbit, contained in a capsule, returned by parachute, and recovered at sea for analysis. It marked the first successful retrieval, paving the way for the subsequent series of reconnaissance missions.

The other dates don’t fit the milestone. May 1958 is before the Corona flight tests began, October 1962 comes after the initial breakthrough and during a different period of the program, and August 1965 is beyond the early phase of the Corona program.