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Launch Partial Failure
Liftoff Time (GMT)
08:42:13
Saturday October 11, 1958
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Official Livestream
The third stage underperformed and Pioneer 1 failed to reach the Moon. However, the spacecraft was still able to transmit data on radiation between the Earth and Moon. It was the first NASA launch.
Despite not reaching the moon, a small quantity of useful scientific information was returned, showing the radiation surrounding Earth was in the form of bands and measuring the extent of the bands, mapping the total ionizing flux, making the first observations of hydromagnetic oscillations of the magnetic field, and taking the first measurements of the density of micrometeorites and the Interplanetary Magnetic Field.
1 Payload
38 kilograms
2nd
Mission
2nd
Mission of 1958
22nd
Orbital launch attempt