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. January 26, 1962 at 20:30 UTC · Launch Successful Atlas LV-3 Agena B — United States Air Force, to Heliocentric N/A Launch Complex 12, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA The world's 145th orbital launch attempt, and 3rd of 1962. Data: Launch Library 2, The Space Devs. Image by NASA (NASA Image and Media Guidelines) via The Space Devs.