On June 13, 1983, the U.S. space probe Pioneer 10 became the first human-made object to leave the solar system. Launched on March 2, 1972, Pioneer 10 was designed to study Jupiter and the outer regions of the solar system.
The spacecraft carried a gold-anodized aluminum plaque, featuring a pictorial message designed to provide information about the origin of the spacecraft, should any extraterrestrial life forms encounter it. The plaque included nude figures of a human male and female, along with several symbols that were meant to provide information about the origin of the spacecraft.
Pioneer 10 successfully flew by Jupiter in December 1973, capturing the first close-up images of the giant planet and its moons. It also discovered that Jupiter has a strong magnetic field and a turbulent atmosphere with wind speeds of up to 400 miles per hour.
After completing its primary mission, Pioneer 10 continued to explore the outer solar system, becoming the first spacecraft to fly through the asteroid belt. On June 13, 1983, it crossed the orbit of Neptune, officially leaving the solar system and entering interstellar space.
Pioneer 10 continued to send back data until its last weak signal was received on January 23, 2003, from a distance of 7.6 billion miles (12.23 billion kilometers). This remarkable spacecraft's journey expanded our understanding of the solar system and paved the way for future interstellar exploration missions.
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
