Key Dates:
- 08.17.58: Launch (12:18 UTC)
- Status: Exploded After Launch
Scientific Instruments:
- magnetometer
- micrometeoroid detector
- temperature sensors
- infrared camera
Fast Facts *:
- Pioneer 0 was the world's first attempt to launch a probe out of Earth's orbit.
- There were 18 spacecraft in the Pioneer Series.
- The Pioneer missions to the Moon were only a small part of the program. Most spacecraft bearing the Pioneer name explored the solar system.
- Engineers painted dark and light stripes on the spacecraft to help control its temperature.
Pioneer 0 Information:
In an ambitious attempt at deep space exploration, the United States launched their first attempt (first by an country) in August of 1958. Originally called Able 1, the flight was renamed Pioneer 0 after its launch. The plan was to insert a 38 kg (84 pound) satellite into a lunar orbit and send back data for about 2 weeks. The spacecraft's first stage rocket exploded 77 seconds after launch. The wreckage plummeted into the Atlantic Ocean.
* NASA