Pioneer 3
Pioneer 3 on AeroVia
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Identity
- Aliases
- Pioneer 3Pioneer P-3Juno II Pioneer 3 Lunar Flyby Probe
- Name
- Pioneer 3
- Status
- failed
Details
- Astronauts
- -
- Destination
- Failed lunar flyby attempt; premature booster cutoff left the probe short of escape velocity, but it reached approximately 102,322 km and returned valuable Van Allen Belt data before reentry
- End Date
- 1958-12-07
- Outcome
- Failed lunar-flyby mission. Pioneer 3 did not reach the Moon or enter heliocentric orbit after premature booster cutoff left it below escape velocity, but it returned valuable Van Allen Belt radiation data before reentering Earth's atmosphere on December 7, 1958.
- Programs
- Start Date
- 1958-12-06
- Vehicle Families
Links
- Official Url
- https://science.nasa.gov/mission/pioneer-3/
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- August 14, 2026 at 17:38:27 UTC
- Updated Time
- September 7, 2026 at 23:13:38 UTC
- Image
- Download
Other
- Affiliations
- Space Stations
- -
- Vehicles