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| Launched on January 26, 1962, Ranger 3 was intended to capture close-up images of the Moon before crashing into its surface. However, it missed the Moon and ended up in a solar orbit. |
(Reference from Ranger 3)
1962-01-26 USA Ranger 3
Ranger 3 was a NASA mission aimed at exploring the Moon, launched on January 26, 1962, as part of the Ranger program. However, due to a series of malfunctions, the spacecraft missed the Moon by 22,000 miles (35,000 kilometers) and entered a heliocentric orbit instead.
The Ranger 3 space probe was designed to transmit images of the lunar surface during a 10-minute flight before impacting the Moon. Its objectives included landing a seismometer capsule on the Moon, collecting gamma-ray data during flight, studying the lunar surface's radar reflectivity, and further testing the Ranger program to advance the development of lunar and interplanetary spacecraft.
(Reference from Ranger 3)
(Reference from Ranger 3)
