Explorer 33 (AIMP-D)
Explorer 33 (AIMP-D) was the physical spacecraft launched on 1 July 1966 to attempt the first U.S. lunar orbit. A Thor Delta second-stage over-acceleration prevented lunar injection, but the probe entered a highly elliptical Earth orbit, approached within 22,000 miles of the Moon, and returned useful data until 15 September 1971.
Identity
- Aliases
- Explorer 33 spacecraftAIMP-D
- Name
- Explorer 33 (AIMP-D)
- Status
- retired
Details
- Description
- Explorer 33 (AIMP-D) was the physical spacecraft launched on 1 July 1966 to attempt the first U.S. lunar orbit. A Thor Delta second-stage over-acceleration prevented lunar injection, but the probe entered a highly elliptical Earth orbit, approached within 22,000 miles of the Moon, and returned useful data until 15 September 1971.
- First Flight Date
- 1966-07-01
- Vehicle Family
Links
- Official Url
- https://science.nasa.gov/mission/explorer-33/
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- August 6, 2026 at 20:17:04 UTC
- Updated Time
- August 6, 2026 at 20:17:04 UTC
Other
- Last Flight Date
- 1971-09-15
- Serial Number
- AIMP-D
- Vehicle Code
- AIMP-D