Re-entered 1962-04-26Payload

RANGER 4

NORAD: 280
COSPAR: 1962-012A

OrbitalWiki publishes live orbits for active satellites only. This object is in the full catalogue: who launched it, what it is and its last published orbit are below, but there are no current orbital elements for it here.

Is it working?

Sources agree

Source	What it says	Date
CelesTrak SATCAT	Decayed or deorbited	1962-04-26
GCAT (J. McDowell)	Failed early in its mission
GCAT (J. McDowell)	Fell silent	1962-04-26
GCAT (J. McDowell)	Regular operations ended	1962-04-26
GCAT (J. McDowell)	Last known active	1962-04-26

Each line is one source and what it says. Where they disagree, both are shown; OrbitalWiki does not pick a winner.

Spacecraft

Program: Ranger II
Built by: Jet Propulsion Lab
Owner: Jet Propulsion Lab
Platform (bus): Ranger Block II
Purpose: Deep space
Sector: Civil government
Mass at launch: 188 kg
Dry mass: 188 kg
Total mass with attached parts: 336 kg
Length: 1 m
Diameter: 1.5 m
Span with arrays and booms: 5.2 m
Shape: Hex Cyl + 2 Pan
UN registration: A/AC.105/INF.007

From GCAT by Jonathan McDowell (CC BY 4.0), record S00280, checked 2026-11-05. About this source

Launch

Launch date: 1962-04-23
Rocket: Atlas Agena B
Flight: Ranger 4
Mission name: Ranger 4
Launch site: CC, LC12
Launched by: MSFC/AFSSD
Rocket performance: Success
Launch designator: 1962 MU

From the GCAT launch log, launch 1962 MU, checked 2026-11-05. About this source

Catalogue record

Object type: Payload
Owner code: US
Launch date: 1962-04-23
Re-entered: 1962-04-26
Orbits: the Moon

From CelesTrak SATCAT, checked 2026-11-05. About this source

Where it came from

Parent object: ATLAS AGENA B R/B (NORAD 282)

The object this one was attached to at launch, or broke off from, as GCAT records it.

Everything from this launch

Payload1 in total, 0 still in orbit
Rocket body1 in total, 1 still in orbit