In this illustration by Rick Giudice from August 1973, the Pioneer 10 spacecraft passes by the gas giant planet Jupiter.
In this illustration by Rick Giudice from August 1973, the Pioneer 10 spacecraft passes by the gas giant planet Jupiter. The spacecraft’s primary goal was to explore Jupiter, its satellites, its magnetic field, and trapped radiation belts. Pioneer 10 was the first satellite to pass through an asteroid belt and the first spacecraft to obtain detailed images of Jupiter and its moons. Between 1972 and 1974, the Deep Space Network ground stations tracked the Pioneer 10 for over 21,000 hours. Pioneer 10 fell silent on its 30-year anniversary in 2002.
Learn more about the Pioneer missions.
Image Credit: NASA