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Ranger 2

Ranger 2

The second of the series of spacecraft launched by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the early 1960s to further lunar and interplanetary exploration, Ranger 2, like its predecessor, was built to test flight systems for a future lunar mission.

Mission Statistics

Launch Date

Nov 18, 1961

Type

Orbiter

Target

Moon

Status

Past

About the mission

The second of the series of spacecraft launched by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the early 1960s to further lunar and interplanetary exploration, Ranger 2, like its predecessor, was built to test flight systems for a future lunar mission. However, it was similarly unsuccessful due to a malfunction with its booster rocket. The malfunction caused Ranger 2 to be trapped in low-Earth orbit before burning up in Earth's atmosphere two days after launch.

Instruments

  • Lyman-alpha telescope
  • Rubidium vapor magnetometer
  • Electrostatic analyzer
  • Medium energy particle detectors
  • Triple coincident telescope
  • Cosmic ray ion chamber
  • Cosmic dust detectors
  • Scintillation counter
› Fact Sheet
› Ranger 2 Information on JPL 101
› Ranger 2 Information on Solar System Exploration
› Ranger 2 Information on National Space Science Data Center

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