During planning stages of the Pioneer 10 and 11 missions, science writer Eric Burgess suggested adding a greeting to an alien civilization. One AU is the mean distance from the Earth to the Sun, or approximately 150 million km (93 million miles). Pioneer 10 and 11, although no longer functioning, are leaving the solar system at 2.6 and 2.5 AU per year, respectively. Pioneer 10 and 11 returned data until 20, respectively, until their power supplies became too weak to support operations. Both traversed the asteroid belt and visited Jupiter, while Pioneer 11 also visited Saturn on its way out of the solar system. Designed as identical spacecraft, Pioneer 10 was launched on March 2, 1972, and Pioneer 11 on April 6, 1973. Pioneer 10 and 11 were the first spacecraft designed to visit the outer solar system-the region beyond Mars. Solar System Silhouette of the spacecraftīehind the figures of the human beings, the silhouette of the Pioneer spacecraft is shown on the same scale so that the size of the human beings can be deduced by measuring the spacecraft.A replica of the Pioneer 10 spacecraft on display in the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall at the Museum in Washington, DC.

A small picture of the spacecraft is shown, and the trajectory shows its way past Jupiter and out of the Solar System. Sun and galactic landmarks Solar SystemĪt the bottom of the plaque is a schematic diagram of the Solar System. Since these periods will change over time, the epoch of the launch can be calculated from these values. Fourteen of the lines have corresponding long binary numbers, which stand for the periods of pulsars, using the hydrogen spin-flip transition frequency as the unit. The radial pattern on the left of the plaque shows 15 lines emanating from the same origin. Figures of a man and a woman Sun and galactic landmarks Although this gesture may not be understood, it offers a way to show the opposable thumb and how the limbs can be moved. The right hand of the man is raised as a sign of goodwill. On the right side of the plaque, a man and a woman are shown in front of the spacecraft. The hyperfine transition of neutral hydrogen Figures of a man and a woman The plaque attached to Pioneer 10 Hyperfine transition of neutral hydrogenĪt the top left of the plaque is a schematic representation of the hyperfine transition of hydrogen, which is the most abundant element in the universe.

The first plaque was launched with Pioneer 10 on March 2, 1972, and the second followed with Pioneer 11 on April 5, 1973. Carl Sagan and Frank Drake designed the plaque, and the artwork was prepared by Linda Salzman Sagan, who was Sagan’s wife at the time. The original idea, that the Pioneer spacecraft should carry a message from mankind, was first mentioned by Eric Burgess an English freelance consultant, lecturer, and journalist, who wrote about the Pioneer program of space missions since the first tests in 1957. Today we will cover briefly The Pioneer Plaque, which was sent in both the Pioneer missions in hope of finding extra-terrestrial life. In our previous two articles, we discussed Pioneer 10 and 11, its need and working.

Space pioneer space pioneer