Pioneer 2
Pioneer 2, also called Able 3, was NASA's November 8, 1958 lunar-orbit attempt, with ground operations handled by the U.S. Air Force. It carried a television scanner, radiation and magnetic-field instruments, temperature sensors and a micrometeoroid sensor. Launch-stage problems, including failure of the third stage to ignite, prevented escape from Earth; it reentered about 42 minutes after launch.
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Identity
- Aliases
- Pioneer 2Able 3Pioneer II
- Name
- Pioneer 2
- Status
- failed
Details
- Astronauts
- -
- Description
- Pioneer 2, also called Able 3, was NASA's November 8, 1958 lunar-orbit attempt, with ground operations handled by the U.S. Air Force. It carried a television scanner, radiation and magnetic-field instruments, temperature sensors and a micrometeoroid sensor. Launch-stage problems, including failure of the third stage to ignite, prevented escape from Earth; it reentered about 42 minutes after launch.
- Destination
- Failed lunar-orbit attempt; premature second-stage shutdown and third-stage ignition failure left the probe at approximately 1,530 km before atmospheric reentry
- End Date
- 1958-11-08
- Outcome
- The lunar-orbit objective failed, but the brief flight returned measurements of near-Earth radiation and micrometeoroid conditions.
- Programs
- Start Date
- 1958-11-08
- Vehicle Families
Links
- Official Url
- https://science.nasa.gov/mission/pioneer-2/
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- August 14, 2026 at 18:09:31 UTC
- Updated Time
- October 17, 2026 at 14:02:00 UTC
Other
- Affiliations
- Space Stations
- -
- Vehicles