Pioneer 10

For other uses, see Pioneer.

Pioneer 10 was a 20th century NASA space probe that traveled beyond Sol's outermost planet in 1983 to become Earth's first interstellar probe. (ST reference: Star Trek Chronology)

History and specifics[]

Pioneer 10 was launched atop an Atlas-Centaur rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida on 2 March 1972. It traversed the Sol asteroid belt on 15 February 1973 en route to Jupiter. Passing within 130,354 kilometers of the gas giant on 4 December 1973, it analyzed its electromagnetic fields, radiation belts, and composition using a plasma analyzer, radiometer, magnetometer, photopolarimeter, and other instruments. Four thermoelectric power generators produced 160 watts to power the probe. After losing contact with NASA on 31 March 1997, it proceeded to depart the Sol system on a course for Taurus constellation, carrying a plaque that identified its Human species designers and Earthly origins. (Fact Files Issue 110: "File 33, Card 5B: Pioneer 10")

Pioneer 10 was 3.7 meters long and weighed 259.1 kilograms. (ST reference: Spaceflight Chronology)

By 2287, it had entered Klingon territory. In 2287, Captain Klaa of the IKS Okrona destroyed the probe for target practice. (TOS movie, novelization & comic adaptation: The Final Frontier)

In 2354, Commander Bernardo Sanchez pointed out that neither Pioneer 10 nor the Voyager series of probes had shields and both safely traversed Sol's asteroid belt. (TNG - YA novel: The Haunted Starship)

Interstellar and deep space probes
United States (NASA)	Pioneer 10 • Voyager series (Voyager 1 • Voyager 2 • Voyager 6)
United Earth	Milky Way probe • Stellar series (Nomad • UNSS U Thant) • Wells series (Drake probe)
Federation Starfleet	gravimetric microprobe • Kepler series (Orpheus) • Quadros series (1 • 3 • 4) • Starfly One Bioprobe
Others	Barzan probe • C/2018-G2 • Cetacean Probe • Conqueror VI • Cytherian probe • Janvar Five • Kataan probe • Kelvan Expeditionary Return Probe • Kukulkan's probe • "Pup" • Tan Ru