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Ranger 3

Ranger 3 was NASA's P-34 lunar impact-probe spacecraft and the first U.S. attempt to put a probe on the Moon. Guidance and spacecraft malfunctions sent it past the Moon into heliocentric orbit after it returned interplanetary gamma-ray measurements.

Identity

Aliases
Ranger IIIP-34Ranger 3 spacecraft
Name
Ranger 3
Status
retired

Details

Description
Ranger 3 was NASA's P-34 lunar impact-probe spacecraft and the first U.S. attempt to put a probe on the Moon. Guidance and spacecraft malfunctions sent it past the Moon into heliocentric orbit after it returned interplanetary gamma-ray measurements.
First Flight Date
1962-01-26
Vehicle Family

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Assets & Meta

Creation Time
August 7, 2026 at 22:38:46 UTC
Updated Time
August 7, 2026 at 22:38:46 UTC

Other

Last Flight Date
1962-01-28