Moon landing
Early U.S. unmanned lunar missions (1958–1965)
Columns: U.S. mission | Mass (kg) | Launch vehicle | Launched | Mission goal | Mission result
Pioneer 0 | 38 | Thor-Able | 17 August 1958 | Lunar orbit | Failure – first stage explosion; destroyed | Pioneer 1 | 34 | Thor-Able | 11 October 1958 | Lunar orbit | Failure – software error; reentry | Pioneer 2 | 39 | Thor-Able | 8 November 1958 | Lunar orbit | Failure – third stage misfire; reentry | Pioneer 3 | 6 | Juno | 6 December 1958 | Lunar flyby | Failure – first stage misfire, reentry | Pioneer P-1 | 168 | Atlas-Able | 24 September 1959 | Lunar orbit | Failure – pad explosion; destroyed | Pioneer P-3 | 168 | Atlas-Able | 29 November 1959 | Lunar orbit | Failure – payload shroud; destroyed | Pioneer P-30 | 175 | Atlas-Able | 25 September 1960 | Lunar orbit | Failure – second stage anomaly; reentry | Pioneer P-31 | 175 | Atlas-Able | 15 December 1960 | Lunar orbit | Failure – first stage explosion; destroyed | Ranger 1 | 306 | Atlas – Agena | 23 August 1961 | Prototype test | Failure – upper stage anomaly; reentry | Ranger 2 | 304 | Atlas – Agena | 18 November 1961 | Prototype test | Failure – upper stage anomaly; reentry | Ranger 3 | 330 | Atlas – Agena | 26 January 1962 | Moon Landing | Failure – booster guidance; solar orbit | Ranger 5 | 342 | Atlas – Agena | 18 October 1962 | Moon Landing | Failure – spacecraft power; solar orbit | Ranger 6 | 367 | Atlas – Agena | 30 January 1964 | Lunar impact | Failure – spacecraft camera; crash impact | Ranger 7 | 367 | Atlas – Agena | 28 July 1964 | Lunar impact | Success – returned 4308 photos, crash impact | Ranger 8 | 367 | Atlas – Agena | 17 February 1965 | Lunar impact | Success – returned 7137 photos, crash impact