Ranger 1, the first of the Ranger program of unmanned spacecraft missions, was launched August 23, 1961. Several attempts had been made to launch Ranger 1 throughout July and August, delays due to leak in attitude control gas system, malfunctioning valve in the liquid oxygen tank, power interruptions, etc.
NASA planned for it to reach a high Earth orbit, but due to a engine shutdown only seconds after ignition, it was only able to reach a low Earth orbit. Ground controllers tried to work with Ranger 1's systems but found it difficult in its low orbit. Its computer system fired the attitude control jets to lock onto the sun so frequently that it ran out of the attitude control jets and could not be stabilized. The solar panels could not charge so Ranger 1 reverted to battery power which lasted until August 27. On August 30, it reentered and burned up over the Gulf of Mexico.
