Talk:Pioneer 1

Spaceflight importance

I have re-rated this article as spaceflight-importance=Mid (rather than Low) because the flight was the first launch by NASA, a space agency which went on to become quite important in the history of spaceflight. (sdsds - talk) 03:14, 20 June 2008 (UTC)

Source material and TRW info

I note this entire article is essentially a copy of the NASA history file in reference 2, which may satisfy the "refimprove" box suggesting additional citations. I added that Ramo-Wooldridge "fabricated" the spacecraft, but that dramatically understates their role on both the payload and launch vehicle per reference 3. Overjive (talk) 20:19, 10 July 2010 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Overjive (talk • contribs)

Not much NASA at all

NASA did not have much to do with the launch at all. They may have contributed the paint to put the letters "NASA" on the Able upper stage. :)

(I am the writer of the Quest article cited as 3.) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Neopeius (talk • contribs) 23:16, 24 February 2013 (UTC)

What was third stage - did it fire

Article not clear if there was a third stage solid rocket (that did fire ?), as well as the probe internal solid rocket (that did not fire). ...
Reference 3 seems to say it had an X248 3rd stage rocket, and the probe internal rocket was to decelerate the probe into lunar orbit. - Rod57 (talk) 09:17, 29 August 2018 (UTC)

Which stages misbehaved

Did the first stage perform nominally, and was the error just in 2nd stage guidance and timing ? Was the 2nd stage bumping the 3rd stage an essential or contributing factor to the failure ? - Rod57 (talk) 08:59, 29 August 2018 (UTC)

Please explain.

The sentence The third stage was a solid-propellant unit based on Vanguard design, rated at 116,500 lb (52,844 kg)-sec total impulse. refers. What does the -sec refers to? Time? It does not make sense. Oesjaar (talk) 17:49, 30 August 2022 (UTC)

It makes perfect sense to those who understand engineering physics. The parameter impulse (physics) is equal to the product of a force (in this case thrust) times time. Units of impulse are lb-sec or kg-sec. The word impulse should be wikilinked to make it more accessible. 21:43, 30 August 2022 (UTC)