Thor Able I | Pioneer 2
About this mission
The third pioneer orbiter, pioneer 2 intended to enter lunar orbit but failed to make orbit when the third stage failed to ignite.
Launched 67 years ago, this mission shaped how we design spacecraft today.
Timeline
Thor Able I — 3D Model
Procedural representation based on spacecraft class. Not to scale.
Other missions to Lunar Orbit
Ariane 64 | Argonaut Mission 1
Ariane 6 is a European expendable launch system developed for the European Space Agency (ESA) and French Space Agency (CNES) and manufactured by a consortium of European companies, led by the prime contractor ArianeGroup. As part of the Ariane rocket family, it is operated by Arianespace, replacing the Ariane 5. The project's primary contributors were France (55.3%), Germany (21%) and Italy (7.6%), with the remaining work distributed among ten other participating countries.
Long March 5 | Chang'e 8
Chang'e 8/CE-8 is scheduled to launch in 2028, including a lander, a rover and a legged robot. The mission will land in the South Pole regions of the Moon to study lunar surface environment around the South Pole and experimenting with resource utilization, including testing an enclosed terrestrial ecosystem in the lunar environment.
Thor Able I | Pioneer 1
The second pioneer orbiter, pioneer 1 intended to enter lunar orbit but missed the Moon after a third stage partial failure.