Pioneer 10 turns 50: Remembering humankind's first jaunt to Jupiter

[Rick]

Pioneer 10 turns 50: Remembering humankind's first jaunt to Jupiter

We might be nearing the 50th anniversary of the last Apollo Moon landing, but spare a thought for NASA's Pioneer missions. Pioneer 10, the first mission to the outer planets, was launched 50 years ago this month.

It is difficult to grasp the sheer number of unknowns facing scientists and engineers with the Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecraft. Earlier Pioneer probes had been launched to study the Moon and space weather, but with twin spacecraft 10 and 11, scientists would be venturing outwards, past the asteroid belt and past Jupiter.

More: https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/15/pioneer_10_anniversary/