Pioneer 11

E11185

Pioneer 11 is a NASA space probe launched in 1973 that conducted pioneering flybys of Jupiter and Saturn, helping to open the outer solar system to exploration.


Statements (49)
Predicate Object
instanceOf space probe
uncrewed spacecraft
carries Pioneer plaque
closestApproachToJupiterDate 1974-12-02
closestApproachToJupiterDistance ~42,000 km above Jupiter cloud tops
closestApproachToSaturnDate 1979-09-01
closestApproachToSaturnDistance ~21,000 km above Saturn cloud tops
communicationBand S-band
COSPARId 1973-019A
countryOfOrigin United States
currentLocation interstellar space direction toward constellation Aquila
designLife ~21 months
endOfMissionDate 1995-11-30
exceededDesignLife true
firstSpacecraftTo observe Saturn’s polar regions
perform a direct flyby of Saturn
traverse the Saturnian ring plane
flyby Jupiter
Saturn
hasInstrument astrometric photometer
charged particle detector
cosmic ray telescope
imaging photopolarimeter
infrared radiometer
magnetometer
meteoroid detector
plasma analyzer
ultraviolet photometer
launchDate 1973-04-06
launchSite Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Launch Complex 36A
launchVehicle Atlas-Centaur
manufacturer TRW
massAtLaunch ~260 kg
missionObjective measure solar wind and cosmic rays in the outer solar system
study Jupiter’s atmosphere and magnetosphere
study Saturn’s atmosphere, rings, and environment
missionType heliospheric science
planetary exploration
notableDiscovery detailed data on Jupiter’s polar regions
measurements of Saturn’s ring particle properties
refined measurements of outer solar system radiation environment
operator NASA
partOf Pioneer program
powerSource radioisotope thermoelectric generator
primaryTarget Jupiter
Saturn
programPredecessor Pioneer 10
status contact lost


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