Pioneer 10

E9637

Pioneer 10 is a NASA space probe launched in 1972 that became the first spacecraft to travel through the asteroid belt and make a direct observation of Jupiter before heading into interstellar space.


Statements (67)
Predicate Object
instanceOf NASA spacecraft
space probe
antennaType high-gain dish antenna
attitudeControl spin-stabilized
carriesArtifact Pioneer plaque
closestApproachDate 1973-12-03
closestApproachDistanceToJupiter ~200,000 km above cloud tops
closestApproachTarget Jupiter
communicationBand S-band
countryOfOrigin United States
crossedNeptuneOrbitDate 1983-06-13
currentStatus inactive in interstellar space
distanceAtLastContact ~12 billion km from Earth
dryMass ~258 kg
escapeVelocityAchieved yes
extendedMission heliosphere and interstellar medium studies
firsts first spacecraft to achieve escape velocity from the Solar System
first spacecraft to make direct observations of Jupiter
first spacecraft to travel through the asteroid belt
flyby Jupiter
galacticDestination toward star Aldebaran (distant future)
headingDirection toward constellation Taurus
heliocentricVelocity ~12 km/s (relative to Sun)
highGainAntennaDiameter 2.74 m
lastSignalDate 2003-01-23
launchComplex Launch Complex 36A
launchDate 1972-03-03
launchSite Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
launchVehicle Atlas-Centaur
length 2.9 m (main body)
manufacturer TRW
massAtLaunch ~258 kg
missionDurationToLastContact ~30.9 years
missionEndDeclaredByNASA 1997-03-31
missionType interplanetary mission
planetary probe
notableEvent first spacecraft to cross orbit of Neptune in terms of distance from Sun
numberOfRTGs 4
operator NASA
PioneerPlaqueArtist Linda Salzman Sagan
PioneerPlaqueDesigners Carl Sagan
Frank Drake
PioneerPlaqueMaterial gold-anodized aluminum
PioneerPlaquePurpose message for potential extraterrestrial intelligences
powerSource radioisotope thermoelectric generator
primaryTarget Jupiter
program Pioneer program
projectScientist James A. Van Allen
scientificInstruments asteroid/meteoroid detector
charged particle instrument
cosmic ray telescope
imaging photopolarimeter
infrared radiometer
magnetometer
meteoroid detector
plasma analyzer
ultraviolet photometer
scientificObjectives characterize asteroid belt environment
measure solar wind in outer Solar System
study Jupiter's atmosphere
study Jupiter's magnetosphere
study cosmic rays in outer Solar System
spaceAgency NASA Ames Research Center
spacecraftBus Pioneer-class deep space probe
spinRate 4.8 rpm
status contact lost
trajectory heliocentric escape trajectory


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