Pioneer P-1
Pioneer P-1 was a failed mission in the Pioneer program. The spacecraft was a 1 meter diameter sphere, with a propulsion module. It was launched on September 24, 1959 on an Atlas-C launcher. It was to carry a TV camera and a magnetic field sensor. It was to be spin-stabilized, and was known as a 'paddlewheel' spacecraft. Pioneer P-1 was destroyed in an explosion on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral during a static test.
External links
- Gunter's Space Page - information on Pioneer P-1
- Space Technology Laboratories Documents Archive
- Atlas Able at Encyclopedia Astronautica