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Ranger 1 Lunar Prototype Spacecraft

Ranger 1 was NASA’s first standardized Ranger prototype, intended to test technologies and study particles and fields before a deep-space lunar mission. An Agena malfunction stranded it in low Earth orbit in 1961, where telemetry ceased before reentry.

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Identity

Aliases
Ranger 1Ranger IRanger 1 lunar prototypeRanger 1 spacecraft
Family Name
Ranger 1
Full Name
Ranger 1 Lunar Prototype Spacecraft
Roles
interplanetary_probetechnology_demonstratorresearch
Status
retired
Type
spacecraft

Details

Description
Ranger 1 was NASA’s first standardized Ranger prototype, intended to test technologies and study particles and fields before a deep-space lunar mission. An Agena malfunction stranded it in low Earth orbit in 1961, where telemetry ceased before reentry.
First Flight Year
1,961
Last Flight Year
1,961
Operator
Spacecraft Specs
Launch Mass
…

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Creation Time
August 13, 2026 at 12:11:50 UTC
Updated Time
August 15, 2026 at 02:09:23 UTC