Tag: Atlas Centaur

Pioneer 11 Provided the First Up-close View of Ringed Planet Saturn

Pioneer 11 Provided the First Up-close View of Ringed Planet Saturn

The first spacecraft to approach the planet Saturn was launched 50 years ago on a 1.5 billion mile trip to Earth’s distant neighbor. During its 22-year mission, Pioneer 11 studied the asteroid belt, the solar wind, cosmic rays and the environment around the planets Jupiter and Saturn. The probe was part of the United States’ efforts leading the reconnaissance of each planet in the solar system.