# Pioneer P-3

> U.S. lunar orbiter destroyed in a launch failure

**Wikidata**: [Q296987](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q296987)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioneer_P-3)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/pioneer-p-3

## Summary
Pioneer P-3 was a U.S. lunar orbiter mission that failed during launch on November 26, 1959. Part of NASA's Pioneer program, it was intended to explore the Moon but was destroyed due to a launch vehicle malfunction.

## Key Facts
- **Launch Date**: November 26, 1959
- **Launch Vehicle**: Atlas-Able rocket
- **Launch Site**: Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 14
- **Mass**: 168.7 kg (launch weight)
- **Diameter**: 1 meter
- **Operator**: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- **Part of**: Pioneer program
- **Cause of Destruction**: Launch failure
- **Aliases**: Atlas-Able 4, Pioneer X
- **Followed by**: Pioneer 5

## FAQs
### Q: What was the purpose of Pioneer P-3?
A: Pioneer P-3 was designed as a lunar orbiter to explore the Moon as part of NASA's Pioneer program.

### Q: Why did Pioneer P-3 fail?
A: The mission failed due to a launch vehicle malfunction during its launch on November 26, 1959.

### Q: What was the launch vehicle for Pioneer P-3?
A: The launch vehicle was an Atlas-Able rocket.

### Q: What was the mass of Pioneer P-3?
A: The launch weight of Pioneer P-3 was 168.7 kg.

### Q: What was the diameter of Pioneer P-3?
A: The diameter of Pioneer P-3 was 1 meter.

## Why It Matters
Pioneer P-3, although a failed mission, is significant as part of the early efforts by the United States to explore the Moon. The Pioneer program, of which Pioneer P-3 was a part, laid the groundwork for future successful lunar missions and contributed to the development of space exploration technologies. The failures and lessons learned from missions like Pioneer P-3 helped NASA refine its approaches and achieve subsequent successes in space exploration.

## Notable For
- **Early Lunar Exploration**: One of the early attempts by the U.S. to send a spacecraft to the Moon.
- **Launch Failure**: Notable for its launch failure, which provided valuable lessons for future missions.
- **Part of Pioneer Program**: Contributed to the broader Pioneer program, which was instrumental in early space exploration.
- **Atlas-Able Rocket**: One of the missions that used the Atlas-Able launch system, which was a significant development in rocket technology.

## Body
### Mission Overview
Pioneer P-3 was a space probe designed to orbit the Moon as part of NASA's Pioneer program. It was launched on November 26, 1959, from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 14 using an Atlas-Able rocket.

### Launch and Failure
The mission ended in failure due to a malfunction in the launch vehicle. The Atlas-Able rocket, which was used for this mission, experienced a failure that resulted in the destruction of the spacecraft.

### Technical Specifications
- **Mass**: 168.7 kg (launch weight)
- **Diameter**: 1 meter
- **Apoapsis**: 1000 km (intended)

### Context within the Pioneer Program
Pioneer P-3 was preceded by Pioneer P-1 and followed by Pioneer 5. The Pioneer program was a series of unmanned space missions conducted by NASA to explore the Moon and other celestial bodies.

### Legacy
Despite its failure, Pioneer P-3 contributed to the knowledge base of early space exploration. The lessons learned from this mission helped improve the reliability and success of subsequent space missions.

## Schema Markup
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  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "Pioneer P-3",
  "description": "U.S. lunar orbiter destroyed in a launch failure",
  "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioneer_P-3",
  "sameAs": ["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q206855", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioneer_P-3"],
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## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
3. [Pioneer P-3](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=PIONX)