Name: Ranger 3 — Atlas LV-3 Agena B
Start: 1962-01-26T20:30:11Z
End: 1962-01-26T20:30:11Z
Location: Launch Complex 12

Question 1

What rocket is launching Ranger 3?

Accepted Answer

Ranger 3 is launching on the Atlas LV-3 Agena B.

Question 2

Who is launching Ranger 3?

Accepted Answer

Ranger 3 is being launched by United States Air Force, a government launch provider founded in 1947.

Question 3

Where is Ranger 3 launching from?

Accepted Answer

Ranger 3 is launching from Launch Complex 12 at Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.

Question 4

What orbit is Ranger 3 heading to?

Accepted Answer

Ranger 3 is heading to Heliocentric N/A (Helio-N/A).

Question 5

Is the Atlas LV-3 Agena B reusable?

Accepted Answer

No — the Atlas LV-3 Agena B is an expendable launch vehicle.

Question 6

How many times has the Atlas LV-3 Agena B flown?

Accepted Answer

The Atlas LV-3 Agena B has launched 29 times to date, with 21 successful flights.

Question 7

What is the Ranger 3 mission?

Accepted Answer

Ranger 3 was a spacecraft designed to transmit pictures of the lunar surface during the last 10 minutes prior to impacting the Moon. A malfunction in the booster guidance system resulted in excessive spacecraft speed. Ranger 3 missed the Moon by 36,800 km and is now in a heliocentric orbit.

Question 8

Where is Cape Canaveral Space Force Station?

Accepted Answer

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station sits on Florida's Atlantic coast, on the Eastern Range run by the U.S. Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45. It is the United States' busiest launch site and has been America's gateway to orbit since the 1950s.

Question 9

Which rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

SpaceX flies Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40, and United Launch Alliance flies the Vulcan Centaur (and the retiring Atlas V) from Space Launch Complex 41.

Question 10

Is Cape Canaveral the same as the Kennedy Space Center?

Accepted Answer

No. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center are separate, neighbouring sites — Kennedy is on Merritt Island just to the north. Together they make up Florida's 'Space Coast'.

Question 11

Why do rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Its pads sit on the Eastern Range, letting rockets fly east out over the Atlantic toward the equatorial and geostationary orbits most commercial and national-security payloads need, away from populated land.

Question 12

Can you watch a launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Space Coast is one of the easiest places in the world to watch a launch from public land. Popular free spots include Playalinda Beach, Space View Park in Titusville, and Jetty Park at Port Canaveral.

Ranger 3

Overview

Mission details

Launch Window

Launch Complex 12

Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Frequently asked questions