Pioneer 0

Pioneer 0
Artist's impression of the Pioneer 0 probe
Mission goal	Images of the lunar surface
Client	NASA
Launcher	Thor DM-18 Able-I
Course of the mission
Start date	August 17, 1958, 12:18 UTC
launch pad	Cape Canaveral Air Force Station , LC-17
End date	17th August 1958
08/17/1958 begin 08/17/1958 The launcher exploded 77 seconds after takeoff

Pioneer 0 was a spacecraft of the US Air Force and the first part of the Pioneer program. The device should be in a lunar orbit swivel and transmit images of the lunar surface, a first in the history of space travel .

At that time, the flight maneuver did not provide for a previous parking path around the earth .

Just 77 seconds after takeoff on August 17, 1958, the Thor launcher exploded at an altitude of 15.2 km after problems with the fuel supply of the first stage occurred 73.6 seconds after take-off .

See also

• Lunar satellite

Web links and sources

Commons : Pioneer (space probe program)  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Description of the Pioneer 0 mission in the NSSDCA Master Catalog (English)
• Bernd Leitenberger: The Pioneer Program