Description : This was a flight test of the Ranger spacecraft system designed for
future lunar and interplanetary missions. Ranger 2 was designed to
test various systems for future exploration and to conduct scientific
observations of cosmic rays, magnetic fields, radiation, dust particles,
and a possible hydrogen gas "tail" trailing the Earth.
The spacecraft was launched into a low earth parking orbit, but an
inoperative roll gyro prevented Agena restart. The spacecraft could not
be put into its planned deep-space trajectory, resulting in Ranger 2 being stranded in low earth orbit upon separation from the Agena stage. The orbit decayed and the spacecraft reentered Earth’s atmosphere on 20
November 1961.

USA 80 archive - picture enhanced ?

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Space Event :

RANGER 2 (PROBE) · ATLAS AGENA · FAILURE