During the passage by Jupiter, Pioneer 10 obtained the first close-up images of the planet, charted Jupiter’s intense radiation belts, located the planet’s magnetic field, and discovered that Jupiter is predominantly a liquid planet.
How long did Pioneer 10 take to get to Jupiter?
Originally designed for a 21-month mission to fly by Jupiter, Pioneer 10 lasted more than 30 years. Pioneer 10 sent its last signal to Earth in January 2003 from a distance of 7.6 billion miles (12.23 billion kilometers)….What was Pioneer 10?
| Nation | United States of America (USA) |
|---|---|
| Mission Design and Management | NASA / ARC |
What was the primary target of Pioneer 10?
planet Jupiter
Pioneer 10’s primary target was the planet Jupiter. It launched from Earth on an Atlas-Centaur three-stage launcher, intended to boost the spacecraft to 32,400 mph (52,142 kph).
How fast did Pioneer 10 go to Jupiter?
Accelerating to a speed of 82,000 mph (131,200 kilometers per hour), Pioneer 10 passed by Jupiter on Dec. 3, 1973. The spacecraft was the first to make direct observations and obtain close-up images of Jupiter.
What is Pioneer 10?
Built by TRW Systems in Redondo Beach, California, and managed by NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California, Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to explore the solar system’s largest planet Jupiter.
Where is the Pioneer 10 spacecraft headed?
The spacecraft is headed generally in the direction of the star Aldebaran, and is expected to reach it in about two million years. A full-scale mockup of Pioneer 10 is on display at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Air and Space Museum’s Milestones of Flight exhibit in Washington, DC.
Why did Pioneer 10 use plutonium-238 to power Jupiter?
Pioneer 10 used plutonium-238 in two radioisotope thermal generators (RTG) to supply power to its systems and instruments, since at the giant planet’s distance from the Sun, capturing enough solar energy would have required solar arrays prohibitively large. Left: Artist’s impression of Pioneer 10 during its encounter with Jupiter.
