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Ranger 3

Ranger 3

Ranger 3 was NASA's first attempt to land a spacecraft on the moon.

Mission Statistics

Launch Date

Jan. 26, 1962

Type

Lander/Rover

Target

Moon

Status

Past

About the mission

Ranger 3 was NASA's first attempt to land a spacecraft on the moon. The spacecraft was designed to transmit up-close photos of the lunar surface before making a rough landing on the moon and deploying a small set of instruments, including a seismometer.

A series of malfunctions, principally with the spacecraft's guidance system, sent the spacecraft hurtling past the moon at much higher speeds than planned. Because of the increased speeds, among other flight problems, Ranger 3 was unable to enter lunar orbit and flew past the moon on January 28, 1962.

Instruments

  • Imaging system
  • Gamma ray spectrometer
  • Radar altimeter
  • Seismometer

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› Fact Sheet
› Ranger 3 Information on JPL 101
› Ranger 3 Information on Solar System Exploration
› Ranger 3 Information on National Space Science Data Center

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