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NASA Gives Up On Pioneer 10

Posted by michael on from the klingon-target-practice dept.

Soft writes "Another Energizer Bunny has finally given out: Pioneer 10's generators have decayed to the point that DSN can no longer detect the probe's signals. It was the first spacecraft to penetrate the asteroid belt (1972) and fly by Jupiter (1973). So long and thanks for all the pic's..."

3 of 607 comments (clear)

  1. Uptime by gato_mato · · Score: 0, Troll

    Wouldn't you LOVE to do an uptime on that thing? My God the util% has to be WAY up there - then again so would the uptime

    Gato

  2. Re:Lifespan? by kfg · · Score: 0, Troll

    No, I'm not forgetting. I stated the fact that getting close to a star was hazardous. I also pointed out that it was heading away from one.

    Inverse square law.

    In any case, what I was talking about was its phyisical integrity. It's electronics are now missing and presumed dead. That's what the story is about.

    Its mission is not yet complete though. As I also pointed out the probe bears a plaque on it in the hopes that someday, somewhere out there, some. . .thing, will find it and read it.

    It gives them directions to find us.

    KFG

  3. Re:So long old friend by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 1, Troll

    Buzzcuts and string ties? I have a copy of NASA's history, Pioneer Odyssey and few, if any of the many engineers pictured fit your stereotype.