In 1958, NASA launched a spacecraft Able 2 for the first time to the Moon but the mission failed after a small error and the probe reentered Earth's atmosphere about 43 hours after launch

In 1958, NASA launched Able 2, later known as Pioneer 1, on a mission to study the Moon. The spacecraft failed to reach lunar orbit after a Thor second-stage shutdown reduced its speed. A problem linked to an accelerometer setting caused the shutdown. The probe still gathered data about Earths environment before returning to Earth. Synopsis In 1958, NASA launched Able 2, later known as Pioneer 1, on a mission to study the Moon. The spacecraft failed to reach lunar orbit after a Thor second-stage shutdown reduced its speed. A problem linked to an accelerometer setting caused the... [10871 chars]