Pioneer-6 , Pioneer-7 , Pioneer-8 , Pioneer-9 — NASA “Pioneer” devices of the same type, launched in 1965 - 1969 into the solar orbit to study the Sun and interplanetary space. They became one of the longest-lived spacecraft, some of which have worked for over 30 years.
Content
Starts
"Pioneer-6" was launched on December 16, 1965 , "Pioneer-7" - on August 17, 1966 , "Pioneer-8" - on December 13, 1967 , "Pioneer-9" - on November 8, 1968 . In 1969 , Pioneer-E (which was to become Pioneer-10) was launched, but it was destroyed during a launch vehicle accident.
Purpose
The purpose of the apparatus was to study the solar plasma, micrometeorite streams, cosmic rays, magnetic perturbations, the solar wind , particle physics. "Pioneer 6" investigated the Kohutek comet in 1973 and transmitted data on its tail. "Pioneer 7" conducted an experiment related to an attempt to detect traces of the atmosphere of the moon , and also in 1986 (almost 20 years after its launch), participated in the study of comet Halley .
Specifications
The mass of the devices is 63–67 kg [1] or 138–146 kg [2] - different NASA sites give different data, dimensions - 89 × 94 cm. The devices have a magnetometer , a solar plasma analyzer, a scintillation detector and a set of instruments for recording space rays and other devices. There are solar panels and 2 antennas to maintain communication.
Work Duration
The spacecraft of this series were designed to operate in space for at least 6 months. In practice, they significantly exceeded this figure. "Pioneer 9" failed in 1983 . “Pioneer-7” and “Pioneer-8” worked until the mid -1990s , when communication with them was discontinued for reasons of economy. The last successful communication session with Pioneer-6 was held on December 8, 2000 in honor of the 35th anniversary of its launch. At this point, the Pioneer 6 was the oldest operating spacecraft in history [3] .
Notes
- ↑ Solar System Exploration: Missions: By Letter: P: Pioneer 7 (not available link) . The appeal date is June 11, 2006. Archived October 1, 2006.
- ↑ NASA - NSSDC - Spacecraft - Details
- ↑ NASA - The Pioneer Missions