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Spacecraft

Pioneer 11

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Pioneer 11 — Photo: Pioneer 11 (Pioneer G) before launch, 1973
Photo: Pioneer 11 (Pioneer G) before launch, 1973. Credit: NASA. Licence: Public domain (NASA). Source

NASA's probe launched in 1973, the first spacecraft to fly past Saturn.

Measured

From the Sun today
118 AU (17.7 billion km)
Moving outward
2.33 AU a year (11.1 km/s)
Constellation
Scutum
Position (J2000)
RA 18h 57m 51s, Dec −8.86°

How far, from the Sun

118 AU. To cross it:

  • Light16 hours
  • Voyager 1's speed33.2 years
  • Driving at 100 km/h20,200 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 April 1973, it flew past Jupiter in 1974 and Saturn in September 1979.
  • Its mission ended in 1995 when its power ran too low.

Where this comes from

  • JPL Horizons heliocentric ephemeris, 2026-10-25 (118.10 AU; trajectory prediction, mission ended 1995)

Every catalogue Ouranos draws is credited on the credits page.