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| Pioneer 3 launch cover with Goldcraft cachet. Launched in December 6, 1958, the Pioneer 3 rocket's first stage shut off too early, causing the spacecraft to crash. |
Pioneer 3 was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on December 6, 1958. Because of a slight error in the satellite's velocity and angle after burnout of the Juno II rocket, it did not reach the Moon; instead it achieved a peak altitude of 102,320 kilometers (63,580 miles). The satellite did, however, discover a second radiation belt around Earth during its flight. Pioneer 3 reentered Earth's atmosphere over equatorial Africa a day after launch.
(Reference from
Pioneer 3)
