Launched on March 2, 1972, Pioneer 10 became the first artificial probe to explore Jupiter.
After 5 years, he left the solar system, and even when scientific program research was completed (it happened on March 31, 1997), still continued to transmit data on interplanetary radiation and the magnitude magnetic field. NASA made the decision not to shut down the probe's automatic system, given the fact that its radioisotope power source was still generating power.
Since then, NASA has periodically made attempts to establish contact with him. In April 2001, a signal was again sent to Pioneer 10, which returned 22 hours later. So apparently his fortune is a lot better than that what the experts might have guessed. Last year, the probe was transmitting data received by the cosmic ray detector.
The way this probe moves in space is of great interest to scientists, since the observed slowdown of the Pioneer by the gravitational pull of the solar system alone, as it turned out, cannot be explained. This means that this circumstance can either serve as evidence of the existence of a force unknown to science so far, or be associated with some properties of the spacecraft itself. The fact is that an exact copy of this probe, Pioneer 11, whose task was to study Jupiter and Saturn, was launched in 1973, but in 1995 communication with it was interrupted.
Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to pass through the Asteroid Belt and make observations and surveys near Jupiter. To date, this most distant object of all man-made continues to be in interstellar outer space, moving towards the star Aldebaran (the constellation of Taurus).
On board the Pioneer-10 there is a 15x23 cm plate made of aluminum anodized with gold, with an engraved pictogram. It is mounted on poles that support the spacecraft's antenna so as to protect its surface from erosion caused by interstellar dust. As conceived by the developers, with its help, the alleged inhabitants of other star systems, which, perhaps, are separated from us by millions of years, will be able to find out when, from where and by whom this device was launched.
At the top, two hydrogen atoms with opposite electron spins are shown schematically. The radiation wavelength of atomic hydrogen and its frequency are the basic units for all data in the diagram. All numerical data is written in binary form ("|" - one, "-" - zero). A bunch of diverging radial lines shows 14 pulsars, by the location of which one can understand that the homeland of the apparatus is the solar system.
The horizontal and vertical strokes at the ends of the rays correspond to the binary records of the distances from the Sun to each pulsar and the period of its emission. Since the period of emission of pulsars decreases at a constant rate, it is possible to determine the moment when Pioneer was launched. A long horizontal beam passing through the figures of people shows the distance from the Sun to the center of our Galaxy. At the bottom of the plate are the Sun itself (a large circle) and 9 planets (the dashed entries below and above them correspond to the binary notation of the distances to the Sun), as well as the trajectory of the apparatus moving away from the Earth, bypassing Mars and enveloping Jupiter.
The horizontal strokes above and below to the right of the female figure show her height (168 cm) and correspond to the wavelength of hydrogen (21 cm) multiplied by 8, the binary notation of which (one horizontal and three vertical strokes) is located to the right of the center of the female figure. Next to the male figure, Pioneer itself is schematically shown (the base unit in the form of a rectangle and the antenna in the form of a segment of a circle). This makes it possible to imagine the physical dimensions and appearance of the creatures that created the Pioneer. The man's hand is raised up, meaning both a greeting and goodwill.
The Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecraft, now at the edge of our solar system, have been exhibiting anomalous behavior for some time: a gradual slowdown in their movement that does not coincide with the calculation. Latest Analysis data collected on the movement of vehicles showed that the anomaly is not constant, as previously thought, and decreases over time. According to American scientists, the cause is asymmetric heat radiation; they plan to present evidence for this theory soon.Pioneer spacecraft 10 and 11 were launched into space in 1972 and 1973, respectively. The main purpose of the space mission was to observe one of the planets of the solar system - Jupiter. The official mission of Pioneer 11 continued a little longer - until 1979, when he met with Saturn.
In order to stay in touch with space probes during missions and subsequently, the researchers used the so-called Deep Space Network, a system of long-range antennas. space communications located all over the world. Contact was maintained until 1995 (with Pioneer 10) and 2003 (with Pioneer 11). Today, both space probes are about 2 times farther from the Sun than Pluto, and there has been no connection with them for a long time. But a number of mysteries that we managed to observe then have not been solved so far.
Once the space probes were out of Saturn's gravity, their motion should have been determined mainly by the Sun's gravity, with little influence from other planets and space dust. The calculations took all these effects into account, but the researchers found that both spacecraft were moving towards interstellar space more slowly than expected. An analysis of the collected data, carried out in 2002, showed that an anomalous acceleration of about 10-9 m/s2 was observed, directed towards the Sun.
Scientists from all over the world offered various explanations for the discovered anomaly. Some of them were quite exotic, for example, including non-Newtonian gravity or various cosmological phenomena. Other explanations are based on physical laws– gas leakage or non-uniformity of heat radiation used on board nuclear power sources. However, "traditional" explanations suggested that the acceleration should decrease over time, and early analysis of the data did not reveal this decrease.
A more detailed analysis recently conducted by scientists from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (USA) and attracted more full information about observations made several decades ago, including old records stored on punched cards, showed that a decrease in the anomaly was in fact present. The scientists managed to collect detailed information about 23.1 "life" years for the Pioneer 10 and 10.75 years for the Pioneer 11 (compared to 11.5 and 3.75 years, respectively, available in previous studies). In addition, the Doppler analysis of frequencies took into account that after the spacecraft passed Jupiter, the communication protocols were redesigned to simplify maintaining contact. Moreover, many changes were documented only in manuscripts. Also, individual stations of the Deep Space Network went out of order - instead of them, new ones were put into operation. The team even had to turn to archived earthquake data to take into account all even minor shifts of individual antennas that were part of the network.
The work done made it possible to state that there is a decrease in the anomaly. However, scientists cannot yet say whether it is linear or exponential; it is also impossible to determine exactly whether this acceleration is directed to the Sun or to the Earth.
At the next stage, scientists plan to conduct the same detailed analysis of the heat release of the devices in order to confirm their theory about the causes of the anomalies.
47 years, 2 months, 17 days
Project website]
Design
- energy source -
- electronics compartment.
- communication with the Earth - through a parabolic antenna with a diameter of 2.75 meters
The apparatus carried the following scientific instruments:
- plasma analyzer ,
- charged particle detector,
- set of Geiger counters,
- cosmic radiation detector,
- radiation detector, ultraviolet photometer,
- imaging photopolarimeter,
- infrared radiometer,
- a set for observation of meteoric matter and a set of detectors for meteor particles.
The mass of the apparatus was 260 kg, including 30 kg of scientific instruments; height - 2.9 m, maximum transverse dimension (diameter of the reflector of a highly directional antenna) - 2.75 m. The images transmitted by the device had a low resolution, since they were taken not by a camera, but by a photopolarimeter, which had a very narrow field of view (0 03 degrees). The sweep along one coordinate occurred due to the rotation of the spacecraft, and along the other - due to its movement in orbit. 
"Interstellar letter" Pioneer-10
An anodized plate made of durable aluminum alloy was installed on the body of the device. The dimensions of the plate are 220x152 millimeters. The drawing is by Carl Sagan.
The plate shows:
- neutral hydrogen molecule;
- two human figures, men and women, against the background of the contour of the apparatus;
- the relative position of the Sun relative to the center of the Galaxy and fourteen pulsars;
- schematic representation of the solar system and the trajectory of the apparatus relative to the planets.
The drawing of a hydrogen molecule is shown as consisting of two atoms with different spins. The distance between the centers is proportional to the wavelength of neutral hydrogen radiation (21 cm). This number is a scale bar for finding other linear quantities on the plate. The height of the people on the plate can be found by multiplying the number 8 (engraved in binary code next to the figure of a woman in square brackets) by 21. The dimensions of the apparatus in the background are given on the same scale.
Fifteen lines diverging from a single point allow you to calculate the star from which the device flew and the launch time. Next to the fourteen lines is a binary code that indicates the period of pulsars located in the vicinity of the solar system. Since the period of pulsars increases with time according to a known law, it is possible to calculate the launch time of the apparatus.
On the diagram of the solar system, the relative distances from the planet to the sun are indicated in binary form next to the planets.
Criticism of the message
Many characters in the picture may be incomprehensible to another mind. In particular, square brackets framing binary numbers, an arrow sign on the Pioneer's departure trajectory, and a man's raised hand in greeting can become such symbols.
The further fate of the device
In 1976, the device crossed the orbit of Saturn, and in 1979 - the orbit of Uranus. On April 25, 1983, the station passed the orbit of Pluto, which was at that time closer to the Sun than Neptune. On June 13, 1983, the device was the first to cross the orbit of the most distant planet in the solar system - Neptune. The Pioneer 10 mission officially ended on March 31, 1997 when it reached a distance of 67 AU. from the Sun, although the device continued to transmit data. February 17, 1998, at a distance of 69.419 AU Pioneer 10 ceased to be the most distant man-made object from Earth, as it was overtaken by the Voyager 1 spacecraft. In 2002, the latest telemetry data was received, since then it has not been possible to catch the useful signals of Pioneer-10. By 2009, the device had retired by 100 AU. from the sun .
Having taken off quite far beyond the orbit of Neptune, the device began to experience a force of unknown origin, causing very little deceleration. This phenomenon has been called the "Pioneer" effect. Many suggestions have been made, up to yet unknown effects of inertia or even time. Some spoke simply of measurement bias. The reason for the constant acceleration was the asymmetry of the thermal radiation of Pioneer-10 itself.
The last, very weak signal from Pioneer 10 was received on January 23, 2003, when it was 12 billion kilometers (80 AU) from Earth. The craft was reported to be heading towards Aldebaran. If nothing happens to him along the way, he will reach the vicinity of this star in 2 million years.
see also
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Links
- - Online book about Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 with photos and diagrams.
- - article in CNN, December 19, 2002
Notes
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Since the first practical flights of rockets into space, over 3 thousand objects for various purposes have been delivered beyond the Earth, and only 5 devices are sent far beyond the solar system. We are talking about the legendary probes that made unique discoveries in the field of astronomy in their time. Vehicles: Voyager 1 and 2, Pioneer 10 and 11, New Horizons. They were able to show us in every detail the worlds at arm's length, which previously seemed to us as tiny twinkling dots in the sky. We remember very well the titanic work they did in the past, but for the most part we are completely unaware of where these devices are today, and in fact some of them are still functioning and transmitting data.
Pioneer-10
This probe fully justifies its name "Pioneer". Launched back in 1972, it was the first in many ways, but its most important achievement was to overcome the force of gravity, due to the maneuver y.
Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to go into interstellar space, carrying on its board the first "material" message to extraterrestrial civilizations.
Today (winter 2017), Pioneer 10 is at a distance of 115 AU. e. from the Earth. Back in the mid-1990s, the NASA space agency lost all control over the device, but the response signal about the active state of the Pioneer on-board computer continued to be detected on Earth until the summer of 2003.
It is believed that even now the ship has a weak computer power supply, and a working transmitter, but the signal strength of the radio station is not enough for even the largest antenna on Earth to be able to “hear” it. Simply put, the Pioneer-10 just ran out of batteries.
Pioneer-11
The next apparatus, of the same series, was sent to to study the planet, its rings and satellites. The ship transmitted a lot of pictures not only of Saturn, but also of Jupiter, transit for its flight. After that, Pioneer 11 was thrown into outer space by the forces of the "gravitational slingshot" of the giant planets.
Pioneer 11 is now at a distance of 105 AU. e. from the Earth. The last successful radio exchange with the probe was made in 1995, but due to the fact that the Pioneer 11 transmitting dish eventually lost its precise orientation to the Earth, further signal transmission became impossible. Like Pioneer 10, Pioneer 11 is most likely operational, and continues to transmit a weak signal (a report on the operation of the on-board computer) past Earth and out of the solar system.
Voyager 1
The most distant object of artificial origin from our planet. Voyager 1 is currently at a distance of 142 AU. e. from the Earth. The device still has a direct connection with the Earth, however, some of the equipment of the ship failed during the 38 years of flight, it is quite possible that powerful collisions of the probe with cosmic dust could be the result of this.
Voyager 1 is so far away from the Sun that if it had the opportunity to look back, our native luminary looked like bright Star, which gives the device practically no heat. Voyager 1 is now in almost total darkness, the temperature outside is approaching the temperature relic radiation and at the moment is no more than 12 Kelvin. Although Voyager 1 formally left the known solar system, however, it is still affected by the gravity of the Sun, that is, the device can “meet” objects orbiting the Sun. But the microscopic matter surrounding Voyager 1 already has little in common with our System and is part of the interstellar medium - the product of other stars and gas and dust clouds.
Voyager 2
Probably the most successful space probe that was sent by man to study the solar system. Voyager visited 4 planets at once, discovered many new objects and flew out of the solar system with great speed.
Voyager 2 is now at a distance of 120 AU. e. from the Earth. Its equipment is fully operational, although it is in a mode of reduced energy consumption of onboard reactors. Approximately once a year, a communication session with the device is made. Voyager 2 continues to respond to any command with a signal delay of more than 23 hours. It is expected that until the current generation level is critically depleted, both Voyagers will be able to keep in touch with the Earth for about 10 years.
On January 22, 2003, NASA sent the last successful request to Pioneer 10, an unmanned spacecraft designed to study Jupiter. The next day the answer was received: in one direction the message went 13 hours. With a high degree of probability, at the time of the answer, Pioneer 10 was 12 billion kilometers from Earth and rushed towards the star Aldebaran. Today "RG" talks about devices launched by mankind and lost in the depths of space.
"Pioneer-10"
The device was launched in the USA on March 2, 1972. In addition to the main task, which he brilliantly accomplished by taking the first photographs of Jupiter, Pioneer-10 had a more global mission.
In case of possible contact with an alien mind, there was a gilded aluminum disk on board containing symbolic information about a person, the Earth and its location, as well as a drawing of a man and a woman. At one time, NASA was inundated with criticism of the drawing: people were depicted naked and the agency was accused of spending taxpayer money to send "obscenity" into space.
The last time Pioneer 10 made contact was on January 23, 2003, at that time the probe was approaching the edge of the solar system, heading towards the star Aldebaran, which it will reach in 2 million years.
Deep Impact
Deep Impact can be translated as "Collision with the abyss". Actually, the task of this spacecraft was announced in the title - for the first time in history, it should have dropped a research probe on comets Tempel 1 and 103P / Hartley.
Like the previous Deep Impact ship, or rather the probe launched from it, coped with the task 100 percent, sending unique photos from the surfaces of comets, as well as having made many chemical analyzes and experiments with their substance.
The last communication session took place on August 8, 2013, scientists suggest that the connection was interrupted due to the loss of orientation of the apparatus in space, caused by a malfunction in the computer program of the probe. The device did not respond to subsequent numerous attempts to restore communication.
"Zond-1"
"Zond-1" is the first of the Soviet spacecraft series designed to study outer space and testing technology that could be used in the future for deep space flights.
The device was launched on April 2, 1964, the direct task of the probe was to check on-board systems and collect scientific information about the shortest flight route to Venus. With its help, for the first time in the world, a system of self-orientation of a spacecraft in space was tested.
Communication with Zond-1 was lost on May 14, 1964, at a distance of 14 million kilometers from the Earth. According to scientists, on July 14, 1964, Zond-1 carried out an uncontrolled flyby of Venus at a distance of about 100 thousand kilometers from it and continued to move around the Sun.
"Pioneer-6"
Another apparatus, unlike its younger brother Pioneer 10, had a more modest goal - the study of solar plasma, micrometeorite streams, cosmic rays, magnetic disturbances, solar wind and particle physics. The launch took place on December 16, 1965, and already in 1973 the apparatus investigated the Kohoutek comet and transmitted data on its tail - for the mid-70s of the last century, the result was truly triumphant.
Pioneer 6 is still registered by NASA as "operational". For example, in December 2000, a successful communication session was held with him in honor of the 35th anniversary of his launch. True, since then all attempts to get in touch ended in failure.
"Phobos-2"
Phobos-2 is a Soviet automatic interplanetary station designed to study the surface of Mars and its satellite Phobos, to study the Sun in the X-ray, ultraviolet and visible ranges, to study the characteristics of interplanetary shock waves and determine the composition of the solar wind.
The launch was made on July 12, 1988 from the Baikonur cosmodrome. The design and equipment of the device were truly advanced: radars, telescopes, landing research probes.
During the approach of the probe to the satellite of Mars, ground stations received a very weak signal from the ship, which later disappeared altogether. A few hours later, the device tried to get in touch, but it was not possible to decipher its signal, most likely this was due to the fact that Phobos-2 was not stabilized and rotated randomly in orbit. The last signal from the ship was received on March 27, 1989.