Thor-Able I with the Pioneer I spacecraft atop, prior to launch at Eastern Test Range at what is now Kennedy Space Center. Pioneer I launched on October 11, 1958, the first spacecraft launched by the 11 day old National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Although it failed to reach the Moon it did transmit 43 hours of data

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Photo credit: © Space collection / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
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