Testing Pioneer 10 Spacecraft
Technicians prepare the Pioneer 10 (known at the time as Pioneer F) spacecraft for testing in the Space Simulation Chamber at TRW Systems, Redondo Beach, California. The chamber subjects the spacecraft to the heat, cold, vacuum and simulated radiation that it encounters in space. Pioneer F was the first spacecraft designed to travel into the outer solar system and operate effectively there. It was hoped that Pioneer 10 would last as long as seven years until it was as far from the sun as 1.5 billion miles. Its primary objective was to take the first close-up look at the planet Jupiter, its moons and environment. It was a great success; after launch on March 3, 1972 it made the first fly-by of Jupiter (closest approach was on December 4, 1973). Slung by Jupiter's gravity onto a path out of our solar system (another first), Pioneer 10 remained in contact with Earth until January 2003 - nearly 31 years. At that point Pioneer 10 was nearly 7.5 billion miles from Earth.
Credit: NASA
Image Number: 72-H-67
Date: January 25, 1972
Testing Pioneer 10 Spacecraft
Technicians prepare the Pioneer 10 (known at the time as Pioneer F) spacecraft for testing in the Space Simulation Chamber at TRW Systems, Redondo Beach, California. The chamber subjects the spacecraft to the heat, cold, vacuum and simulated radiation that it encounters in space. Pioneer F was the first spacecraft designed to travel into the outer solar system and operate effectively there. It was hoped that Pioneer 10 would last as long as seven years until it was as far from the sun as 1.5 billion miles. Its primary objective was to take the first close-up look at the planet Jupiter, its moons and environment. It was a great success; after launch on March 3, 1972 it made the first fly-by of Jupiter (closest approach was on December 4, 1973). Slung by Jupiter's gravity onto a path out of our solar system (another first), Pioneer 10 remained in contact with Earth until January 2003 - nearly 31 years. At that point Pioneer 10 was nearly 7.5 billion miles from Earth.
Credit: NASA
Image Number: 72-H-67
Date: January 25, 1972