It was equipped to estimate the Moon's mass and topography of the poles, record the distribution and velocity of micrometeorites, and study radiation, magnetic fields, and low frequency electromagnetic waves in space.

Nearly a year passed between the first Atlas-Able launch in November 1959 and this second attempt due to a shortage of Atlas boosters as well as intense competition between NASA and the U.S. Air Force for use of the pads at Cape Canaveral.

The second stage malfunction was attributed to a loss of pressure in the propellant feed system, starving the engine of oxidizer.

Attached to the bottom of the sphere was a 90 N vernier rocket for mid-course propulsion and lunar orbit maneuvers which could be fired four times.

The blades themselves were made of reflective material and consist of four vanes which were flush against the surface, covering a black heat-absorbing pattern painted on the sphere.

The difference between the payload of Pioneer P-30 and the earlier Pioneer P-3 was the replacement of the TV facsimile system on P-3 with a scintillation spectrometer to study the Earth's (and possible lunar) radiation belts, mounted on the instrument platform, and a plasma probe mounted on the sphere to measure energy and momentum distribution of protons above a few kilovolts to study the radiation effect of solar flares.

The total mass of the science package including electronics and power supply was roughly 60 kg (130 lb).