Mission Summary
Ranger 5 launched with the goal of transmitting high-resolution images of the Moon before intentionally impacting the surface. The spacecraft was designed to deliver a small instrument capsule to the Moon and collect data on radiation, magnetic fields, and particles in interplanetary space. The failure of the mission led NASA to redesign and improve the Ranger spacecraft, contributing to the later successes of Rangers 7, 8, and 9.
The third and final attempt of NASA's Block II lunar landing series, this 755-pound (342 kg) spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral on October 18, 1962. Like its sister ships, the probe was built to capture close-up television images during its final descent and drop a balsa-wood-cushioned capsule containing a seismometer onto the surface to record moonquakes.
The launch went smoothly, and the rocket put the spacecraft on a highly accurate path toward the Moon. However, just under nine hours into the flight, an unexplained short circuit occurred within the power system. This malfunction permanently disconnected the solar panels, leaving the probe completely dependent on its limited internal backup batteries.
Ground controllers scrambled to send emergency commands, but the batteries drained fully within a few hours. Without electricity, the spacecraft's computer shut down, its steering systems failed, and its radio went completely silent. The dead spacecraft floated past the Moon on October 21, 1962, missing the surface by just 450 miles (724 km). It failed to take any photos or deploy its landing capsule, eventually drifting past its target to enter a permanent orbit around the Sun.
Sources and notes can be found on the Sources page.
