Pioneer Missions
By Lailani Watts
Pioneer 3 (Flyby Mission)
Pioneer 3 was launched on 6th December 1958 as a flyby mission.
This spacecraft was a spin-stabilized probe (up to 700rpm)
Lasting only 38 hours and 6 minutes this spacecraft managed to contribute in a major scientific discovery of dual bands of radiation around earth.
The technology it had was Photoelectric sensor trigger and two Geiger- Mueller counters, two special weights on wires which could reduce spin when needed.
Pioneer 5 (Orbiter Mission)
This spacecraft Pioneer 5 was launched on 11th march 1960 it successfully reached the heliocentric orbit between earth and Venus to provide the first map of interplanetary magnetic field. It was intended for a Venus flyby but changed to test new technologies. It used transmitter and rates varied from 64 to 8 to 1 bit per second and confirmed the existence of interplanetary magnetic fields.
Pioneer 10 (Flyby Mission)
Pioneer 11 (Flyby Mission)
Launched on 5th April 1973. Pioneer 11 was the first human-made object to fly past Saturn and returned the first pictures of the polar regions of Jupiter.
Passing through the Asteroid belt on 19th April 1974.
On 25th November 1974 penetrated the Jovian bow shock.
Making the closest approach to Jupiter on 3rd December 1974, only 43,000 km from the planets atmosphere Three times closer than Pioneer 10. Obtaining photos of Great Red Spot, First observation of the polar regions, and determined the mass of Jupiter's second largest moon, Callisto.
With the help of Jupiter's gravity it soared towards Saturn, taking five years until the spacecraft was able to get to the planet.
On 31st August 1979 found evidence of Saturn's 'bow shock', or the where Saturn's magnetic field shielded the planet from effects of the sun.
The next day flew past Saturn at only 21,500km from the planets cloud tops. Sensors estimated Saturn's temperature at minus 180C and the planet is mostly made up of liquid hydrogen.
Also discovered a new ring the "F" ring as well as two small moons. Its temperature measurement of Titan, Saturn's largest moon was very cold.
Both Pioneer 10 and 11 carry a plaque with a message for any intelligent beings that might find it. A man and a woman, the solar system and its location.