Missions in Space - Pioneer 10
Launch - 2 March 1972
Pioneer space probe
© NASA
Pioneer 10 is a US mission that was the first spacecraft to travel through the Asteroid belt, and the first to carry out close-up observations of the planets Jupiter (1973) and Saturn (1979). After more than 30 years of travelling, Pioneer 10 should be well over 8 billion miles away!
Its science mission ended on 31 March 1997 after making very important scientific investigations of the distant parts of our Solar System, however, it has since continued beyond the orbits of the outer planets, and was last heard of when a very weak signal was received on 22 January 2003.
Pioneer 10 is currently heading towards the star Aldebaran, which can be found in the constellation of Taurus (The Bull). This bright star is just 68 light years away, but it will take Pioneer more than 2 million years to reach it.
Pioneer 10 images of Jupiter (left) and Saturn (right) using old technology
© NASA
