Pioneer_P-1

Pioneer P-1

Pioneer P-1

1959 US attempted satellite

Pioneer P-1 was a failed mission in the Pioneer program. The spacecraft was a 1-meter diameter sphere with a propulsion module, and was to carry a TV camera and magnetic field sensor. It was to be spin-stabilized and was known as a 'paddlewheel' spacecraft.

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The spacecraft was intended for launch on an Atlas C-Able rocket, but this vehicle was destroyed on 24 September 1959 in an explosion on its launch pad during a pre-launch static firing. The P-1 spacecraft and an Able IV space engine were not present on the launch vehicle when it exploded, and were later used on the Pioneer P-3 mission.[1][2]

The only specimen of the Atlas C-Able rocket, intended to carry Pioneer P-1, prior to an explosion during static firing.

References

  1. [1]
    "Pioneer P-1, P-3, P-30, P-31". Gunter's Space Page. 12 November 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  2. [2]
    "U.S. Moon Rocket Blows Up in Test". The New York Times. 25 September 1959.
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This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Pioneer_P-1, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.