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| Ranger 2 launch cover with Swanson cachet, postmarked at Patrick Air Force Base, November 18, 1961. |
Ranger 2 was a flight test of the Ranger spacecraft system as part of NASA's Ranger program, aimed at preparing for future lunar and interplanetary missions. It was intended to evaluate various systems and conduct scientific observations of cosmic rays, magnetic fields, radiation, dust particles, and a potential hydrogen gas "tail" trailing Earth. Launched on November 18, 1961, Ranger 2, similar to Ranger 1, functioned as a test vehicle. Unfortunately, its engines failed to reignite after entering low Earth orbit, leading to the spacecraft burning up in the atmosphere just two days post-launch.
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| Photo: Launch of Ranger 2 on November 18, 1961. |
(Reference from
Ranger 2)
