3.6 Flying Out of the Solar System
175
orbit for 106 days, to detect the distribution of magnetic field in the space between
the Earth and Venus.
In the second phase (1965−1978), a series of the exploration missions of planetary
and interplanetary space was carried out, whose goals are to explore and photograph
the inner planets in the solar system, to fly over the Jupiter and Saturn, and finally to
fly out of the solar system. During the phase, ten series of Pioneer probes, including
Pioneer-6, 7, 8, 9, E, 10, 11, H, 12 and 13, were planned and launched sequentially,
of which the Pioneer-E failed to launch; the Pioneer-H was the probe planned but not
launched, whose structure and mission were as same as the Pioneer-10 and Pioneer-11
and which is now stored at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.;
the other eight probes had been successfully launched and completed the scheduled
exploration tasks. The Pioneer-6, 7, 8 and 9 were a series of the space probes with
similar missions and functions, which are used to explore the solar-wind ions and
electrons, the cosmic rays and the interplanetary magnetic field. Each of the four
probes had a cylinder-shaped structure, with the weight of 138−147 kg and with
the spin-stabilized at 60 revolutions per minute. The Pioneer-6 and Pioneer-9 were
located in the orbit of 0.8 AU away from the Sun, and both orbital periods are slightly
shorter than that of the Earth, while the Pioneer-7 and Pioneer-8 were located in the
orbit of 1.1 AU away from the Sun, and both orbital periods are slightly longer than
that of the Earth. The Pioneer-10 and Pioneer-11 have been the most eye-catching
exploration missions in the entire program. Both probes first explored the outer
planets of the solar system, Jupiter and Saturn, and their interplanetary space, and
then continued to fly out of the solar system. Both Pioneer-10 and Pioneer-11 are
the first emissaries sent by humanity to visit the extraterrestrial planets, and carry a
gold-anodized aluminum plaque each, on which there are the sketches of a man and
woman and information such as the location of the Earth, looked forward to being
intercepted and understood by the extraterrestrial civilization one day. The Pioneer
Venus exploration project was composed of two probe missions, the Pioneer-12 and
Pioneer-13. The Pioneer-12 was also known as the Pioneer Venus orbiter, with a total
weight of 517 kg, and located in the orbit 142 km by 253 km away from the Venus’s
surface. The objectives of the Pioneer-12 were to measure the Venus’s magnetic
field and ionosphere and its space environment, and obtain the image of the Venus’s
surface by radar data. The Pioneer-13 was also known as the Pioneer Venus Multiprobes, with a total weight of 290 kg, and carried with four scientific instruments for
exploring the atmosphere of Venus, including the Large probe, North probe, Night
probe and Day probe. The Pioneer-13 descended to the atmosphere of Venus to carry
out the exploration in detail, until finally hitting the surface of Venus. For all that,
there had still been the measurement data sent back to the Earth by an undamaged
detector after hitting.
3.6.2.2 Pioneer-10 and Pioneer-11
On March 2, 1972, the Pioneer-10 probe (also known as Pioneer-F) was successfully
launched by the NASA. It was the first man-made vehicle to fly over the asteroid
175
orbit for 106 days, to detect the distribution of magnetic field in the space between
the Earth and Venus.
In the second phase (1965−1978), a series of the exploration missions of planetary
and interplanetary space was carried out, whose goals are to explore and photograph
the inner planets in the solar system, to fly over the Jupiter and Saturn, and finally to
fly out of the solar system. During the phase, ten series of Pioneer probes, including
Pioneer-6, 7, 8, 9, E, 10, 11, H, 12 and 13, were planned and launched sequentially,
of which the Pioneer-E failed to launch; the Pioneer-H was the probe planned but not
launched, whose structure and mission were as same as the Pioneer-10 and Pioneer-11
and which is now stored at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.;
the other eight probes had been successfully launched and completed the scheduled
exploration tasks. The Pioneer-6, 7, 8 and 9 were a series of the space probes with
similar missions and functions, which are used to explore the solar-wind ions and
electrons, the cosmic rays and the interplanetary magnetic field. Each of the four
probes had a cylinder-shaped structure, with the weight of 138−147 kg and with
the spin-stabilized at 60 revolutions per minute. The Pioneer-6 and Pioneer-9 were
located in the orbit of 0.8 AU away from the Sun, and both orbital periods are slightly
shorter than that of the Earth, while the Pioneer-7 and Pioneer-8 were located in the
orbit of 1.1 AU away from the Sun, and both orbital periods are slightly longer than
that of the Earth. The Pioneer-10 and Pioneer-11 have been the most eye-catching
exploration missions in the entire program. Both probes first explored the outer
planets of the solar system, Jupiter and Saturn, and their interplanetary space, and
then continued to fly out of the solar system. Both Pioneer-10 and Pioneer-11 are
the first emissaries sent by humanity to visit the extraterrestrial planets, and carry a
gold-anodized aluminum plaque each, on which there are the sketches of a man and
woman and information such as the location of the Earth, looked forward to being
intercepted and understood by the extraterrestrial civilization one day. The Pioneer
Venus exploration project was composed of two probe missions, the Pioneer-12 and
Pioneer-13. The Pioneer-12 was also known as the Pioneer Venus orbiter, with a total
weight of 517 kg, and located in the orbit 142 km by 253 km away from the Venus’s
surface. The objectives of the Pioneer-12 were to measure the Venus’s magnetic
field and ionosphere and its space environment, and obtain the image of the Venus’s
surface by radar data. The Pioneer-13 was also known as the Pioneer Venus Multiprobes, with a total weight of 290 kg, and carried with four scientific instruments for
exploring the atmosphere of Venus, including the Large probe, North probe, Night
probe and Day probe. The Pioneer-13 descended to the atmosphere of Venus to carry
out the exploration in detail, until finally hitting the surface of Venus. For all that,
there had still been the measurement data sent back to the Earth by an undamaged
detector after hitting.
3.6.2.2 Pioneer-10 and Pioneer-11
On March 2, 1972, the Pioneer-10 probe (also known as Pioneer-F) was successfully
launched by the NASA. It was the first man-made vehicle to fly over the asteroid