Pioneer 11
The first spacecraft to fly past Saturn — a twin pioneer that scouted the path for Voyager.
Vital statistics
01
Overview
Pioneer 11, twin to Pioneer 10, used a close Jupiter flyby in 1974 to slingshot across the Solar System and become the first spacecraft to visit Saturn, in September 1979. It discovered a new ring and a small moon and scouted the trajectory and ring-plane hazards that Voyager 1 and 2 would soon follow. Like its twin it carries the gold plaque message to the stars. Its plutonium power slowly waned until NASA could no longer hear it after 1995.
05
Exploration
Pioneer 11's daring Jupiter pass — closer than Pioneer 10's — bent its path "up and over" the Solar System toward Saturn, demonstrating the multi-planet gravity assist that defined the Voyager Grand Tour. At Saturn it swept within 21,000 km of the cloud tops, found the narrow F ring, and confirmed Titan was too cold for a probe. Declining RTG power ended operations; the last contact came in late 1995, and it now drifts toward the constellation Aquila.
Did you know?
It was the first spacecraft ever to fly past Saturn.
A daring close Jupiter flyby in 1974 slung it "up and over" toward Saturn.
It discovered Saturn's narrow F ring and a small moon during its 1979 encounter.
It carries the same gold plaque message to the stars as Pioneer 10.
Its Saturn recon helped planners aim Voyager safely through the ring plane.
NASA last heard from it in 1995; it now heads toward the constellation Aquila.
Timeline
- 19731973
Launched April 5/6 on an Atlas-Centaur.
- 19741974
Close Jupiter flyby on Dec 2 slingshots it toward Saturn.
- 19791979
First-ever Saturn flyby on Sep 1 — discovers the F ring and a moon.
- 19951995
Final contact in November — power too low to continue.