Dec 6 1958

From The Space Library

The third US-IGY space probe - the second under direction of NASA and with the Army as executive agent-was launched at 12:45 a.m., from AMR by Juno II rocket. The primary mission of PIONEER III, to place the scientific payload in the vicinity of the moon, was not accomplished although an altitude of 63,580 miles was achieved and it discovered that radiation belt was comprised of at least two bands.