Pioneer 10: mission and targets
Data as of 2026-10-04
Dates declared by the archive
- Project start
- March 2, 1972
- Declared end
- March 31, 1997
The start the archive declares is the start of the project, not the launch, and an end it does not declare does not mean the mission is still running.
In Galaxy
Targets you can open in 3D:
A declared target is what the archive files the mission’s data under, not a record of observation.
Description published by the archive
Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft that went to Jupiter. It was also the first spacecraft to achieve escape velocity. It was launched on March 2, 1972. It was at 80 AU from Earth when it lost contact.
Quoted in English, as the archive publishes it, read on October 4, 2026.
Other targets declared
- Solar System (planetary system)
- SOLAR WIND (plasma stream)
Source
Identifier in the archive, which is its citation: urn:nasa:pds:context:investigation:mission.pioneer_10
NASA Planetary Data System, PDS Registry, investigation context products. Dates and targets read on September 29, 2026; how to cite the archive: https://pds.nasa.gov/datastandards/citing/