Pioneer program

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The Pioneer program is quite big series of U.S. unmanned missions designed for planetary exploration, launches between 1958 and 1978. The name Pioneer comes from the space Pioneer exploration aim of the missions.

To remind you, you will probable remember the most notable plaque from Pioneer 10. Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 left our solar system.


The early Pioneer missions (1958-1960) were designed to achieve the Earth's escape velocity and to study the Moon.  Pioneer 0, 1, 2 (lunar orbiter), 3, P-1, P-3, 4 (lunar flyby), 5 (interplanetary space between Earth and Venus), P-30, P-31: most of them failed, except Pioneer 2, 4, and 5. I would say that nothing is failure, if we learn from the mistake. Who doesn't try, doesn't win!!

The later Pioneer missions (1965-1978) was a new series 5 years later.
They were supposed to study first inner solar system before sending them towards Jupiter and Saturn flyby. The missions took poor pictures than the Voyager program.

Pioneer 6 to 9 aimed the new interplanetary space weather network:
Pioneer 6 (A) was launched in December 1965.
Pioneer 7 (B) was launched in August 1966.
Pioneer 8 (C) was launched in December 1967.
Pioneer 9 (D) was launched in November 1968 (inactive since 1983).
Pioneer  E was lost during launch failure in August 1969.

Pioneer 6 and 9 are in 0.8AU orbit, and Pioneer 7 and 8 in 1.1AU.

Outer Solar System mission:
Pioneer 10 (F) was launched on March 1972 towards Jupiter and interstellar medium.
Pioneer 11 (G) was launched on April 1973 towards Jupiter, Saturn and interstellar medium.
Pioneer H - identical to 10 and 11, but never built.

Pioneer Venus Project
Pioneer Venus orbiter was launched on May 1978. The mission was sent to orbit Venus and transmitted data until 1992.
Pioneer Venus Multiprobe was launched on August 1978 and contained 4 probes which were deployed to the atmosphere of Venus. During the descent they transmitted data. One probe survived the landing and was transmitting data over hour from the surface.




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