Mission
The spacecraft was launched on an Air Force-Convair Atlas D intercontinental, ballistic missile coupled to Thor-Able upper stages including an Able solid propellant third stage. The vehicle exploded at T+68 seconds after launch at an altitude of 12 km. The payload fell into the Atlantic Ocean 12 to 20 km from Cape Canaveral in about 20 meter deep water. Subsequent investigation revealed that the second stage had ignited during ascent, detonating the Atlas's fuel supply.
Read more about this topic: Pioneer P-31
Famous quotes containing the word mission:
“I cannot be a materialist—but Oh, how is it possible that a God who speaks to all hearts can let Belgravia go laughing to a vicious luxury, and Whitechapel cursing to a filthy debauchery—such suffering, such dreadful suffering—and shall the short years of Christ’s mission atone for it all?”
—D.H. (David Herbert)
“The mission of men there seems to be, like so many busy demons, to drive the forest all out of the country, from every solitary beaver swamp and mountain-side, as soon as possible.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“When you’re dealing with monkeys, you’ve got to expect some wrenches.”
—Alvah Bessie, Ranald MacDougall, and Lester Cole. Raoul Walsh. Captain Nelson, Objective Burma, giving a subaltern a mission (1945)