Back to Vehicle Families

Pioneer 10/11 spacecraft

Pioneer 10 and 11 were sister NASA spacecraft built by TRW for the first direct reconnaissance of the outer planets. The spin-stabilized, radioisotope-powered probes shared the same basic design: Pioneer 10 became the first spacecraft to fly past Jupiter, while Pioneer 11 continued from Jupiter to make the first close flyby of Saturn.

Pioneer 10/11 spacecraft
NASA / Don Davis · NASA-hosted artist-created asset; the exact matching NASA Science artwork is identified as an artist’s concept of the Pioneer spacecraft, and NASA’s history record names the work "Pioneer 10 Leaving the Planets Behind" by Don Davis. NASA’s current Images and Media Usage Guidelines generally permit factual or informational/editorial use with NASA attribution and without implying NASA endorsement. Retain the Don Davis credit; commercial, promotional, merchandise, derivative, or other uses of this artist-created work may require separate clearance. NASA insignia and identifiers, identifiable-person rights, and other third-party rights are not granted and NASA endorsement must not be implied. · Source
Follow this vehicle family

Future launches and major activity directly linked to this vehicle family.

Identity

Aliases
Pioneer F/G spacecraftPioneer Jupiter-Saturn spacecraft
Family Name
Pioneer 10/11
Full Name
Pioneer 10/11 spacecraft
Roles
interplanetary_probeflyby
Status
retired
Type
spacecraft

Details

Description
Pioneer 10 and 11 were sister NASA spacecraft built by TRW for the first direct reconnaissance of the outer planets. The spin-stabilized, radioisotope-powered probes shared the same basic design: Pioneer 10 became the first spacecraft to fly past Jupiter, while Pioneer 11 continued from Jupiter to make the first close flyby of Saturn.
First Flight Year
1,972
Last Flight Year
1,973
Operator
Spacecraft Specs
Launch Mass Kg
258
Reusability
expendable

Links

Assets & Meta

Creation Time
July 29, 2026 at 08:03:18 UTC
Updated Time
July 29, 2026 at 08:03:18 UTC