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Spacecraft

Pioneer 10

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Pioneer 10 — Photo: Pioneer 10 readied for launch, 1972
Photo: Pioneer 10 readied for launch, 1972. Credit: NASA. Licence: Public domain (NASA). Source

NASA's probe launched in 1972, the first to cross the asteroid belt and fly past Jupiter.

Measured

From the Sun today
142 AU (21.3 billion km)
Moving outward
2.49 AU a year (11.8 km/s)
Constellation
Taurus
Position (J2000)
RA 5h 16m 29s, Dec +26.06°

How far, from the Sun

142 AU. To cross it:

  • Light20 hours
  • Voyager 1's speed40 years
  • Driving at 100 km/h24,300 years

Voyager 1 at the speed it moved outward over the year to 2026-10-25 (JPL Horizons). Driving: nonstop, never refuelling.

Facts

  • Launched in March 1972, it flew past Jupiter in December 1973.
  • Its last signal was received on 23 January 2003.
  • It carries a gold plaque showing a man, a woman and the Sun's place in the galaxy.

Where this comes from

  • JPL Horizons heliocentric ephemeris, 2026-10-25 (142.09 AU; trajectory prediction, contact lost 2003)

Every catalogue Ouranos draws is credited on the credits page.