Pioneer 10 launched to Jupiter
Pioneer 10 the worlds first outer-planetary probe is launched from Cape Canaveral Florida on a mission to Jupiter the solar systems largest planet.In December 1973 after successfully negotiating the asteroid belt and a distance of 620 million miles Pioneer 10 reached Jupiter and sent back to Earth the first close-up images of the spectacular gas giant.In June 1983 the NASA spacecraft left the solar system and the next day radioed back the first scientific data on interstellar space.
NASA officially ended the Pioneer 10 project on March 31 1997 with the spacecraft having traveled a distance of some six billion miles.Headed in the direction of the Taurus constellation Pioneer 10 will pass within three light years of another starRoss 246in the year 34600 A.D.Bolted to the probes exterior wall is a gold-anodized plaque 6 by 9 inches in area that displays a drawing of a human man and woman a star map marked with the location of the sun and another map showing the flight path of Pioneer 10.The plaque intended for intelligent life forms elsewhere in the galaxy was designed by astronomer Carl Sagan.
