Kalendarium historycznych wydarzeń

[Orionid]

55 lat temu, 22 stycznia 1968 roku, został wyniesiony w kosmos pierwszy egzemplarz LEM-a w misji Apollo 5.

1968: Apollo 5 (NASA)

1968 January 22 - . 22:48 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC37B. LV Family: Saturn I. Launch Vehicle: Saturn IB.
Apollo 5 - . Payload: Apollo LM-1. Mass: 14,360 kg (31,650 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA Houston. Program: Apollo. Class: Moon. Type: Manned lunar lander. Spacecraft: Apollo LM. Decay Date: 1968-02-12 . USAF Sat Cat: 3107 . COSPAR: 1968-007B. Apogee: 374 km (232 mi). Perigee: 169 km (105 mi). Inclination: 31.60 deg. Period: 89.90 min.

NASA launched Apollo 5 - the first, unmanned LM flight - on a Saturn IB from KSC Launch Complex 37B at 5:48:08 p.m. EST. Mission objectives included verifying operation of the LM structure itself and its two primary propulsion systems, to evaluate LM staging, and to evaluate orbital performances of the S-IVB stage and instrument unit. Flight of the AS-204 launch vehicle went as planned, with nosecone (replacing the CSM) jettisoned and LM separating. Flight of LM-1 also went as planned up to the first descent propulsion engine firing. Because velocity increase did not build up as quickly as predicted, the LM guidance system shut the engine down after only four seconds of operation, boosting the LM only to a 171 x 222 km orbit. Mission control personnel in Houston and supporting groups quickly analyzed the problem. They determined that the difficulty was one of guidance software only (and not a fault in hardware design) and pursued an alternate mission plan that ensured meeting the minimum requirements necessary to achieve the primary objectives of the mission. The ascent stage separated and boosted itself into a 172 x 961 km orbit. After mission completion at 2:45 a.m. EST January 23, LM stages were left in orbit to reenter the atmosphere later and disintegrate. Apollo program directors attributed success of the mission to careful preplanning of alternate ways to accomplish flight objectives in the face of unforeseen events.

http://www.astronautix.com/j/january22.html

Fire in the Hole: Remembering Apollo 5, OTD in 1968
by Ben Evans 2 years ago

(...) Many of us can point to our “favorite” rockets, but in the annals of the “unusual”, the Saturn IB which lofted Apollo 5 on 22 January 1968 must rank highly. It was the eighth and final launch of a Saturn-class booster to originate from Launch Complex (LC)-37 at what is now Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla., but its appearance was quite distinct. Unlike later Saturn IB missions—which incorporated an S-IB first stage and S-IVB second stage, topped-off by the Apollo CSM—Apollo 5 carried only the 37,000-pound (16,800 kg) LM, covered by the protective panels of the 28-foot-tall (8.5-meter) Spacecraft/Lunar Module Adapter (SLA) and capped by a bullet-like payload shroud. (...)
https://www.americaspace.com/2021/01/22/fire-in-the-hole-remembering-apollo-5-otd-in-1968/

https://twitter.com/spacemen1969/status/1617056971831607296
https://twitter.com/NASAhistory/status/1617182807301685258
https://twitter.com/NASA_Johnson/status/1617925318639067136

https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/lem-1.htm
https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1968-007A

[Orionid]

25 lat temu, 23 stycznia 1998 roku, rozpoczęła się przedostatnia misja wahadłowca do stacji Mir.
Wyprawa STS-89 Endeavour trwała 8d 19h 46m 54s.

Andrew Sydney Withiel Thomas pozostał na Mirze, a na Ziemię powrócił po długotrwałym locie David Alexander Wolf.

1998 January 23 - . 02:48 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39A. Launch Platform: MLP3. LV Family: Shuttle. Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle.

STS-89 - . Call Sign: Endeavour. Crew: Anderson, Dunbar, Edwards, Joe, Reilly, Sharipov, Thomas, Andrew, Wilcutt. Payload: Endeavour F12 / Spacehab Double Module. Mass: 116,277 kg (256,346 lb). Nation: USA. Related Persons: Anderson, Dunbar, Edwards, Joe, Reilly, Sharipov, Thomas, Andrew, Wilcutt. Agency: NASA Houston. Manufacturer: Douglas. Program: Mir. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Flight: Soyuz TM-26, STS-86 Mir NASA-5, STS-89, STS-89 Mir NASA-6. Spacecraft Bus: Shuttle. Spacecraft: Endeavour. Duration: 8.82 days. Decay Date: 1998-01-31 . USAF Sat Cat: 25143 . COSPAR: 1998-003A. Apogee: 382 km (237 mi). Perigee: 359 km (223 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 92.00 min. (...)

Space Shuttle Flight 89 (STS-89) Post Flight Presentation


“The Air from the Earth”: Remembering STS-89, OTD in 1998
by Ben Evans a day ago

(...) “The eighth and ninth Mir flights will use the Space Shuttle to reduce a significant logistics shortfall on Mir, conduct vital engineering research and expand our knowledge and experience of the effects of long-duration weightlessness,” NASA explained. “In addition, these extended Mir operations will assist Russia in its objective to extend the Mir on-orbit lifetime through Fiscal Year 1999.” (...)
https://www.americaspace.com/2023/01/22/the-air-from-the-earth-remembering-sts-89-otd-in-1998/

http://lk.astronautilus.pl/loty/sts89.htm
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-89.html
http://www.spacefacts.de/mission/english/sts-89.htm
http://www.astronautix.com/s/sts-89.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS-89
https://twitter.com/spacemen1969/status/1617168740180791296
https://twitter.com/ASE_Astronauts/status/1617281003692728320
https://twitter.com/NASA_APPEL/status/1613600443350777856
https://twitter.com/spacemen1969/status/1620318588698591232

[Orionid]

30 lat temu, 24 stycznia 1993 roku, wystartował Sojuz TM-16

1993 January 24 - . 05:58 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC1. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz-U2.

Soyuz TM-16 - . Call Sign: Vulkan (Volcano ). Crew: Manakov, Poleshchuk. Backup Crew: Serebrov, Tsibliyev. Payload: Soyuz TM s/n 101. Mass: 7,150 kg (15,760 lb). Nation: Russia. Related Persons: Manakov, Poleshchuk, Serebrov, Tsibliyev. Agency: RAKA. Program: Mir. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spacecraft. Flight: Soyuz TM-15, Soyuz TM-16. Spacecraft Bus: Soyuz. Spacecraft: Soyuz TM. Duration: 179.03 days. Decay Date: 1993-07-22 . USAF Sat Cat: 22319 . COSPAR: 1993-005A. Apogee: 394 km (244 mi). Perigee: 393 km (244 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 92.40 min.

http://www.astronautix.com/j/january24.html

Manned two crew. Mir Expedition EO-13. Transported to the Mir manned orbital station a crew of the thirteenth main expedition comprising the cosmonauts G M Manakov and A F Poleschuk.The Soyuz carried the APAS androgynous docking system instead of the usual probe system.
https://twitter.com/ASE_Astronauts/status/1617900209643683846
http://www.spacefacts.de/mission/english/soyuz-tm16.htm
http://www.astronautix.com/s/soyuztm-16.html
https://www.gctc.ru/main.php?id=6092
https://www.forum.kosmonauta.net/index.php?topic=3792.msg136555#msg136555

[Orionid]

https://twitter.com/Cmdr_Hadfield/status/1618725843345473536
https://twitter.com/SenBillNelson/status/1618749925709459457
https://twitter.com/NASAKennedy/status/1618625089473232897
https://twitter.com/nasahqphoto/status/1617975490404560896
http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-012623a-nasa-day-of-remembrance-columbia-20th.html
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/day-of-remembrance-marks-20th-anniversary-of-columbia-crew-loss

A   https://www.forum.kosmonauta.net/index.php?topic=32.msg181530#msg181530
Ch https://www.forum.kosmonauta.net/index.php?topic=496.msg181669#msg181669
C  https://www.forum.kosmonauta.net/index.php?topic=90.msg181327#msg181327
WP https://www.forum.kosmonauta.net/index.php?topic=5004.msg180995#msg180995

[Orionid]

25 lat temu, 29 stycznia 1998 roku, wystartował Sojuz TM-27.
W skład załogi wchodził francuski astronauta Léopold Paul Pierre Eyharts.

1998 January 29 - . 16:33 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC1. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz-U-PVB.

Soyuz TM-27 - . Call Sign: Kristall. Crew: Budarin, Eyharts, Musabayev. Backup Crew: Afanasyev, Haignere, Treshchev. Payload: Soyuz TM s/n 76. Mass: 7,250 kg (15,980 lb). Nation: Russia. Related Persons: Afanasyev, Budarin, Eyharts, Haignere, Musabayev, Treshchev. Agency: RAKA. Manufacturer: Korolev bureau. Program: Mir. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spacecraft. Flight: Soyuz TM-26, Soyuz TM-27, Soyuz TM-27 Mir Pegase, STS-86 Mir NASA-5, STS-89, STS-89 Mir NASA-6. Spacecraft Bus: Soyuz. Spacecraft: Soyuz TM. Duration: 207.53 days. Decay Date: 1998-08-25 . USAF Sat Cat: 25146 . COSPAR: 1998-004A. Apogee: 373 km (231 mi). Perigee: 363 km (225 mi). Inclination: 51.70 deg. Period: 91.90 min.

Soyuz TM-27 carried the Mir EO-25 crew and French astronaut Leopold Eyharts. NASA and the Russian Space Agency had hoped Soyuz TM-27 could dock with Mir while Endeavour was still there, resulting in an on-board crew of 13, a record which would have stood for years or decades. But the French vetoed this, saying the commotion and time wasted would ruin Eyharts Pegase experimental programme. Soyuz TM-27 docked at the Kvant module port at 17:54 GMT on January 31, 1998, less than five hours before Endeavour landed in Florida.

Solovyov handed over command of Mir to EO-25 commander Musabayev, and the Mir EO-24 crew and Eyharts undocked from the forward port of Mir at 05:52 GMT on February 19 aboard the Soyuz TM-26 for their return home. On February 20, the EO-25 crew and Andy Thomas of the NASA-7 mission boarded Soyuz TM-27 and undocked from the Kvant port at 08:48 GMT. They redocked with the forward port on Mir at 09:32 GMT. This freed up the Kvant port for a test redocking of the Progress M-37 cargo ship, parked in a following orbit with Mir during the crew transfer.

http://www.astronautix.com/j/january29.html

https://www.gctc.ru/main.php?id=6104
http://www.spacefacts.de/mission/english/soyuz-tm27.htm
http://www.astronautix.com/s/soyuztm-27.html
https://twitter.com/ESA_History/status/1619628541452197888
https://twitter.com/spacemen1969/status/1619594945240637440

[Orionid]

65 lat temu, 1 lutego 1958 roku, doszło do pierwszego kosmicznego startu USA (Explorer 1).

1958 February 1 - . 03:47 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC26A. LV Family: Redstone. Launch Vehicle: Jupiter C.

Explorer 1 - . Payload: Explorer A. Mass: 5.00 kg (11.00 lb). Nation: USA. Related Persons: von Braun. Agency: US Army. Program: Explorer. Class: Earth. Type: Magnetosphere satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Explorer. Spacecraft: Explorer A. Decay Date: 1970-03-31 . USAF Sat Cat: 4 . COSPAR: 1958-Alpha-1. Apogee: 1,859 km (1,155 mi). Perigee: 347 km (215 mi). Inclination: 33.20 deg. Period: 107.20 min.

Explorer I, the first U.S. earth satellite, was launched by a modified Army Ballistic Missile Agency Jupiter-C. Explorer I, developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, carried the U.S.-IGY (International Geophysical Year) experiment of James A. Van Allen and resulted in the discovery of the radiation belt around the earth.

http://www.astronautix.com/f/february01.html

https://twitter.com/spacemen1969/status/1620319047756967943
https://astromart.com/news/show/first-us-satellite-explorer-i-65-years-ago-today
https://archive.org/details/1958-02-03_First_US_Satellite_Launched
2018  https://www.forum.kosmonauta.net/index.php?topic=800.msg114778#msg114778
2019 https://www.forum.kosmonauta.net/index.php?topic=800.msg128208#msg128208
AA https://www.forum.kosmonauta.net/index.php?topic=3164.msg116246#msg116246

[Orionid]

46 lat temu, 3 lutego 1977 roku po wykonaniu 12 188 orbit wokół Ziemi,  stacja orbitalna  Salut 4 została zdeorbitowana.

https://twitter.com/airandspace/status/1621200941734043649

https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/salyut-4.htm
http://www.astronautix.com/s/salyut4.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salyut_4
https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salut_4

A total of three crews were orbited with Salyut 4 between 1974 and 1977.

http://geoinfo.amu.edu.pl/wpk/rst/rst/intro/Part1_12.html

[Orionid]

25 lat temu, 4 lutego 1998 roku, Ariane-44LP H10-3 wyniosła 2 satelity telekomunikacyjne Brasilsat B3 i Inmarsat 3 F-5.

1998 February 4 - . 23:29 GMT - . Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Complex: Kourou ELA2. LV Family: Ariane. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 44LP.

Brasilsat B3 - . Payload: HS 376W. Mass: 1,770 kg (3,900 lb). Nation: Brazil. Agency: Embratel. Manufacturer: El Segundo. Program: Brasilsat. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: HS 376. USAF Sat Cat: 25152 . COSPAR: 1998-006A. Apogee: 35,795 km (22,241 mi). Perigee: 35,780 km (22,230 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. Geostationary at 84.0 degrees W. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 84 deg W in 1998-1999 As of 3 September 2001 located at 84.03 deg W drifting at 0.009 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 84.07W drifting at 0.013W degrees per day..

Inmarsat 3 F5 - . Mass: 1,021 kg (2,250 lb). Nation: International. Agency: Inmarsat. Manufacturer: RCA. Program: Inmarsat. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: AS 4000. USAF Sat Cat: 25153 . COSPAR: 1998-006B. Apogee: 35,797 km (22,243 mi). Perigee: 35,775 km (22,229 mi). Inclination: 0.50 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. Geostationary at 25.0 degrees E. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 25 deg E in 1998-1999 As of 24 July 2001 located at 25.09 deg E drifting at 0.020 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 25.07E drifting at 0.017W degrees per day..

http://www.astronautix.com/f/february04.html



https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/inmarsat-3.htm
https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/brasilsat-b.htm

[Orionid]

26 lat temu, 10 lutego 1997 roku, wystartował Sojuz TM-25 z Niemcem Reinholdem Ewaldem.
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/MIR_97

Wkrótce potem nastąpił dramatyczny pożar na Mirze
https://www.forum.kosmonauta.net/index.php?topic=800.msg174884#msg174884
https://www.forum.kosmonauta.net/index.php?topic=3104.msg121787#msg121787

http://www.spacefacts.de/mission/english/soyuz-tm25.htm
http://www.astronautix.com/s/soyuztm-25.html

[Orionid]

Zbiór ogólnych/historycznych publikacji na temat różnych projektów załogowych lotów kosmicznych ESA
https://www.esa.int/About_Us/ESA_Publications/Human_spaceflight_publications

Kod: [Zaznacz]

https://twitter.com/ESA_History/status/1622920264488026112
Publikacje o astronautach ESA i ich misjach
https://www.forum.kosmonauta.net/index.php?topic=3483.msg181830#msg181830

[Orionid]

18 lat temu nastąpił pierwszy udany start wariantu RN Ariane 5 ECA

Drugi start nowej Ariane
  12.02.2005 o 21:03:08,3 z Kourou wystartowała rakieta Ariane-5 ECA, która wyniosła w T+ 24' 30" na orbitę o parametrach: hp=250 km, ha=35821 km, i=6,98°europejskiego wojskowego satelitę łączności XTAR-EUR (docelowa orbita GEO nad 29° E), minisatelitę technologicznego Sloshsat-FLEVO (Facility for Liquid Experimentation and Verification in Orbit) oraz nieoddzielany od ostatniego stopnia rakiety balast MaqSat-B2 o masie 3000 kg. Był to pierwszy udany lot tego modelu RN po katastrofie pierwszego egzemplarza w grudniu 2002 roku.
http://lk.astronautilus.pl/n021201.htm#06

https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Enhanced_Ariane_5_demonstrates_heavy-lift_capability
https://www.esa.int/esatv/Videos/2005/02/ARIANE_5_V164_Launch_Highlights

XTAR EUR  https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/xtar-eur.htm
MaqSat B2  https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/maqsat-b2.htm
Sloshsat-FLEVO  https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/sloshsat-flevo.htm

[Orionid]

60 lat temu, 14 lutego 1963 roku, RN Delta-B wyniosła na orbitę satelitę telekomunikacyjnego Syncom 1 , który jako pierwszy w historii miał osiągnąć orbitę geostacjonarną.
Około 5 godzin po wystrzeleniu silnik, który miał wynieść satelitę na pożądaną trajektorię, otrzymał polecenie uruchomienia.
Po 20 sekundach, kiedy silnik zakończył pracę, kontakt z satelitą został utracony.
NASA uznała, że satelita został wytrącony ze swojej osi obrotu podczas uruchomienia silnika.
Wkrótce obliczono, że początkowa orbita Syncoma 1 wynosiła: hp=34 186 km, ha=37 021 km, t=23h 46m 30s.
Satelity Syncom mają kształt cylindryczny o średnicy 71 cm i wysokości 39 cm oraz masę 68 kg.

https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syncom_1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syncom
https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/syncom-1.htm
https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1963-004A

[Orionid]

62 lata temu, 16 lutego 1961 roku, została wystrzelona RN Scout-X1, która wyniosła na orbitę o parametrach: hp= 757 km, ha=2 433 km km, i=38.80°, t=118.00 min satelitę naukowego Explorer 9 przeznaczonego do badania gęstości atmosfery.
Explorer 9 był pierwszym z serii nadmuchiwanych kul o wymiarze 3,66 m, która została z sukcesem umieszczona na orbicie.
Satelita zbudowany był z naprzemiennych warstw folii aluminiowej i mylarowej.
Kula podczas startu znajdowała się w tubie o średnicy 21,6 cm i długości 48,3 cm i  była zintegrowana z górną częścią czwartego stopnia rakiety nośnej.
Explorer 9 był pierwszym satelitą umieszczonym na orbicie przez rakietę w całości napędzaną stałymi materiałami pędnymi oraz pierwszym obiektem orbitalnym pomyślnie wystrzelonym z wyspy Wallops.
Satelita spłonął w gęstych warstwach atmosfery 9 kwietnia 1964 roku.

https://twitter.com/airandspace/status/1626248031590055942

1961 February 16 - . 13:05 GMT - . Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Complex: Wallops Island LA3. LV Family: Scout. Launch Vehicle: Scout X-1.
Explorer 9 - . Payload: S-56A. Mass: 7.00 kg (15.40 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Program: Explorer. Class: Earth. Type: Atmosphere satellite. Spacecraft: S-56. Decay Date: 1964-04-09 . USAF Sat Cat: 81 . COSPAR: 1961-Delta-1. Apogee: 2,433 km (1,511 mi). Perigee: 757 km (470 mi). Inclination: 38.80 deg. Period: 118.00 min. 12 foot dia. balloon; atmospheric density studies. Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B).

http://www.astronautix.com/e/explorer.html

https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/explorer_ad.htm
https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1961-004A
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explorer_9
https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explorer_9

[Orionid]

50 lat temu, 17 lutego 1973 roku, Załogowe Centrum Statków Kosmicznych w Houston (gdzie znajduje się Centrum Szkolenia Astronautów i Centrum Kontroli Misji) zmieniło nazwę na Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC).
Pierwszym dyrektorem Manned Spacecraft Center  został w 1961 roku Robert R. Gilruth.

50 Years Ago: The Manned Spacecraft Center Renamed NASA’s Johnson Space Center
Feb 17, 2023


Former First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson stands to the right of the bust of her late husband, President Lyndon B. Johnson, as her family and former NASA Administrator James E. Webb look on, during the August 1973 dedication ceremony at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston.

On Feb. 17, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon signed Senate Joint Resolution 37, sponsored by Texas Senator Lloyd M. Bentsen, designating the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) in Houston as NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC), in honor of the 36th President who died the previous Jan. 22 at age 64. In a statement accompanying the signing, President Nixon said, “Few men in our time have better understood the value of space exploration than Lyndon Johnson.” Center Director Christopher C. Kraft, Jr., said of the decision, “We are pleased and proud to have our Center bear this great American’s name.” The President’s widow Lady Bird Johnson attended the formal dedication ceremony at JSC in August 1973. (...)
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/50-years-ago-the-manned-spacecraft-center-renamed-nasas-johnson-space-center

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/45-years-ago-president-names-johnson-space-center/
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/50-years-ago-lbjs-surprise-visit-to-the-manned-spacecraft-center
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/about/history/jsc50/index.html
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/home/index.html
http://spacerelics.blogspot.com/2012/10/programme-apollo-le-boilerplate-expose.html?m=0
http://spacerelics.blogspot.com/2012/10/les-t-38n-talon-devant-le-space-center.html?m=0
https://spacemen1969.blogspot.com/2014/01/les-nouvelles-salles-du-mission-control.html?m=1
p https://www.forum.kosmonauta.net/index.php?topic=3483.msg181713#msg181713
https://twitter.com/NASA_Johnson/status/1626599759556542468
https://twitter.com/NASA_Johnson/status/1626282150374047746

[Orionid]

58 lat temu, 17 lutego 1965 roku, RN Atlas-LV3 Agena-B wyniosła sondę księżycową Ranger 8.
Próbnik po dotarciu do Księżyca wykonał w ciągu 23 minut 7137 wysokiej rozdzielczości zdjęć powierzchni Księżyca zanim uderzył w powierzchnię Księżyca o godzinie 09:57:37 UTC  20 lutego 1965 roku.
Uderzenie miało miejsce w obszarze Mare Tranquillitatis (2,67°N, 24,65°E).
Prędkość zderzenia wynosiła ok. 2,68 km/s.
Była to druga udana misja z serii Ranger, po Ranger 7 .

Sonda składała się z sześciokątnej aluminiowej podstawy o średnicy 1,5 m, na której zamontowano jednostki napędowe i zasilające, zwieńczonej ściętą stożkową wieżą, w której znajdowały się kamery telewizyjne.
Próbnik przewoził sześć kamer telewizyjnych Vidicon, 2 szerokokątne i 4 wąskokątne.

Całkowita wysokość statku kosmicznego miała 3,6 m, a jego masa wynosiła 366,87 kg.


Last image taken by Ranger 8 camera-A from a distance of 4.2 km, 2 seconds before impact on February 20, 1965. The area shown is at 2.7 N, 24.55 E and the image is about 1.4 km across. The right side of the image is missing because Ranger 8 crashed before completing transmission. (JPL/NASA)
https://www.drewexmachina.com/2015/02/17/50-years-ago-today-the-launch-of-ranger-8/
https://twitter.com/airandspace/status/1628188355371335681

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/ranger-8/in-depth/
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/ranger-8
http://www.astronautix.com/r/ranger6-7-8-9.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranger_8
https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/ranger_bl3.htm