Pioneer 11 facts for kids
| Pioneer 11 | |
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 Pioneer 11 at Saturn (artist's impression) |
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| Organization: | Ames Research Center - NASA |
| Mission type: | Fly-by |
| Flyby of: | Jupiter, Saturn |
| Launch date: | April 6, 1973 at 02:11:00 UTC |
| Launch vehicle: | Atlas/Centaur/TE364-4 |
| Mass: | 259 kg |
Quick facts for kids edit |
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Pioneer 11 (also known as Pioneer G) was an amazing space probe launched by NASA. It was the second spacecraft to visit the giant planet Jupiter. Even more exciting, it was the very first mission to explore the ringed planet Saturn! This brave robot explorer gave us incredible new information about these distant worlds.
Pioneer 11 was launched on April 6, 1973. It flew past Jupiter on December 4, 1974. Then, it continued its long journey to Saturn, flying by on September 1, 1979. The probe kept sending back data until November 1995, when communication with Earth finally ended.
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Pioneer 11 Space Probe
Pioneer 11 was a special spacecraft designed to travel far into our Solar System. Its main goal was to study Jupiter and Saturn up close. It carried many scientific instruments to collect data. This data helped scientists learn about the planets' atmospheres, magnetic fields, and moons.
A Journey to Jupiter and Saturn
The journey for Pioneer 11 began on April 6, 1973. It was launched from Launch Complex 36A using a powerful Atlas/Centaur rocket. The probe weighed about 259 kilograms (571 pounds).
Exploring Jupiter
After traveling for over a year, Pioneer 11 reached Jupiter. It made its closest approach on December 4, 1974. The probe flew within 43,000 kilometers (27,000 miles) of Jupiter's cloud tops. It took amazing pictures and gathered data about the planet's intense radiation belts. This information was very important for future missions, like Voyager 1.
First Visit to Saturn
Pioneer 11 then used Jupiter's gravity to get a "slingshot" boost. This helped it speed up and change direction towards Saturn. It became the first spacecraft ever to visit Saturn. On September 1, 1979, Pioneer 11 flew within 21,000 kilometers (13,000 miles) of Saturn's clouds. It sent back the first close-up images of Saturn's rings. It also discovered two new moons and an extra ring!
A Message for Aliens
Both Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 carried a special message. They had gold-etched plaques attached to them. These plaques were designed by a team led by famous scientist Carl Sagan. The idea was to communicate with any extraterrestrial life that might find the spacecraft someday.
The plaques showed simple diagrams. They included a picture of humans, the location of our Sun and Earth, and even the structure of a hydrogen atom. It was like a cosmic "hello" from Earth!
Related pages
Images for kids
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SNAP-19 RTG, a power source for the probe.
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Pioneer 11 launching from Launch Complex 36A.
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Animation of Pioneer 11 around Saturn Pioneer 11 · Saturn · Epimetheus · Janus · Mimas · Enceladus
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See also
In Spanish: Pioneer 11 para niños
