March 3, 1972: Pioneer 10 Launched

Play
Pioneer 10
Pioneer 10

1972 – NASA launched the Pioneer 10 (a.k.a. Pioneer F) from Cape Canaveral, FL. This was the first spacecraft to traverse an astroid belt. The craft collected the environmental information around Jupiter. This included solar wind, cosmic rays and other events.

Pioneer 10 successfully reached Jupiter in November 1973. It took 60 days to collect multiple pieces of information as the craft was in range of the planet. It continued on an unknown journey – passing Saturn in 1976, Uranus in 1979 and Neptune in 1983. The craft continued to send data even after the mission had officially ended in 1997.

In 2003, Pioneer 10’s signal was too weak to retrieve data – 12 billion KM away. No response has been received, so we don’t know if the spacecraft continues on its course or was destroyed.

Wikazine – Full show notes for March 3

Subscribe to Day In Tech History:

RSS Feed - iTunes - Google Play - Spotify
Twitter - Facebook

RSS Bandwidth by Cachefly Get a 14 Day Trial

Be a Part of the Sconnie Geek Nation!

In Wisconsin, friends are called "Sconnies". Even if you're not from Wisconsin, you can be part of the Sconnie Geek Nation through my coverage! By pledging, you join the Geek Sconnie Nation! Plus, you help me cover costs so I can continue the coverage of Gadget tech, music tech, and geek culture through the shows.

  • Unix Timestamp hits 9 decimal places
  • Rodney King beating caught on tape
  • Gibson vs. Guitar Hero case thrown out