On April 23, 1962, NASA launched the Ranger 4 mission to the moon.
After the first three Ranger missions failed, NASA was really happy with the successful launch of Ranger 4. But the fun didn't last long. After a picture-perfect launch on an Atlas-Agena rocket, Ranger 4 stopped transmitting telemetry data. Tracking stations picked up an empty signal from its radio transponder. Without that telemetry, mission control couldn't confirm that the spacecraft had deployed its solar panels and high-gain antenna. When they tried to send commands to its on-board computers, they got no response. They could tell from fluctuations in the radio signal that Ranger 4 had not stabilized itself like it was supposed to. Instead, it was tumbling around in space with its solar panels still tucked in to its sides. While the mission was essentially a failure at that point, Ranger 4 did become the first American spacecraft to reach the moon. It crashed into the moon's far side three days after the launch.
After the first three Ranger missions failed, NASA was really happy with the successful launch of Ranger 4. But the fun didn't last long. After a picture-perfect launch on an Atlas-Agena rocket, Ranger 4 stopped transmitting telemetry data. Tracking stations picked up an empty signal from its radio transponder. Without that telemetry, mission control couldn't confirm that the spacecraft had deployed its solar panels and high-gain antenna. When they tried to send commands to its on-board computers, they got no response. They could tell from fluctuations in the radio signal that Ranger 4 had not stabilized itself like it was supposed to. Instead, it was tumbling around in space with its solar panels still tucked in to its sides. While the mission was essentially a failure at that point, Ranger 4 did become the first American spacecraft to reach the moon. It crashed into the moon's far side three days after the launch.
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TechTranscript
00:00On April 23, 1962, NASA launched the Ranger 4 mission to the moon.
00:08After the first three Ranger missions failed, NASA was really happy with the successful launch of Ranger 4.
00:14But the fun didn't last long.
00:16After a picture-perfect launch on an Atlas Agena rocket, Ranger 4 stopped transmitting telemetry data.
00:22Tracking stations picked up an empty signal from its radio transponder.
00:26Without that telemetry, Mission Control couldn't confirm that the spacecraft had deployed its solar panels and high-gain antenna.
00:32When they tried to send commands to its onboard computers, they got no response.
00:36They could tell from fluctuations in the radio signal that Ranger 4 had not stabilized itself like it was supposed to.
00:42Instead, it was tumbling around in space with its solar panels still tucked into its sides.
00:47While the mission was essentially a failure at that point, Ranger 4 did become the first American spacecraft to reach the moon.
00:53It crashed into the moon's far side three days after the launch.
00:56And that's what happened on this day in space.
00:59The war is the first time.
01:01It went to the underworld.
01:02All right.
01:03If you ever have any problems with your hidden points.
01:04You should get no choice if you want.
01:05It's something as you need to get to the moon's far side two days.