NASA sent Pioneer probes to explore the outer planets. Pioneer 10
reached Jupiter in 1973 and took the first close-up photos of the giant
planet. It then kept traveling, crossing the orbit of Pluto and leaving the
solar system in 1983. Pioneer 11 traveled to Saturn, where it collected
valuable information about the planet’s rings.
NASA next introduced the Voyager 1 and 2 probes, more sophisticated
versions of the Pioneers. Launched in 1977, they flew by Jupiter
two years later and took pictures of the planet’s swirling colors, volcanic
moons, and its previously undiscovered ring.
The Voyager space probes then headed for Saturn. In 1980 and 1981,
they sent back detailed photos of Saturn’s spectacular rings and its vast
collection of moons. Voyager 2 then traveled to Neptune, which it reached
in 1989, while Voyager 1 continued on a path to the edge of the solar system
and beyond.
After many delays, the U.S probe Galileo was launched from the
space shuttle Atlantis in 1989. It reached Jupiter in December 1995, and
dropped a barbecue-grill-sized mini-probe down to the planet’s surface.
That mini-probe spent 58 minutes taking extremely detailed pictures of
the gaseous planet before being incinerated near the surface. As of the
beginning of 2001, Galileo was still sending valuable scientific information
about Jupiter and its moons back to Earth.
In February 1996, NASA launched NEAR (Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous)
Shoemaker, an unmanned spacecraft that was to become the first
to orbit an asteroid. In April 2000, it began a circular orbit around the asteroid
Eros. During its one-year mission around Eros, the spacecraft took
measurements to determine the mass, density, chemical composition, and
other geological characteristics of the asteroid. It also beamed some
160,000 images of Eros back to Earth. In February 2001, NEAR Shoemaker
used the last of its fuel in a successful attempt to land on the surface
of the asteroid. Once on the surface, it continued to collect invaluable
data about the oddly shaped Eros before it was finally shut down by NASA.
reached Jupiter in 1973 and took the first close-up photos of the giant
planet. It then kept traveling, crossing the orbit of Pluto and leaving the
solar system in 1983. Pioneer 11 traveled to Saturn, where it collected
valuable information about the planet’s rings.
NASA next introduced the Voyager 1 and 2 probes, more sophisticated
versions of the Pioneers. Launched in 1977, they flew by Jupiter
two years later and took pictures of the planet’s swirling colors, volcanic
moons, and its previously undiscovered ring.
The Voyager space probes then headed for Saturn. In 1980 and 1981,
they sent back detailed photos of Saturn’s spectacular rings and its vast
collection of moons. Voyager 2 then traveled to Neptune, which it reached
in 1989, while Voyager 1 continued on a path to the edge of the solar system
and beyond.
After many delays, the U.S probe Galileo was launched from the
space shuttle Atlantis in 1989. It reached Jupiter in December 1995, and
dropped a barbecue-grill-sized mini-probe down to the planet’s surface.
That mini-probe spent 58 minutes taking extremely detailed pictures of
the gaseous planet before being incinerated near the surface. As of the
beginning of 2001, Galileo was still sending valuable scientific information
about Jupiter and its moons back to Earth.
In February 1996, NASA launched NEAR (Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous)
Shoemaker, an unmanned spacecraft that was to become the first
to orbit an asteroid. In April 2000, it began a circular orbit around the asteroid
Eros. During its one-year mission around Eros, the spacecraft took
measurements to determine the mass, density, chemical composition, and
other geological characteristics of the asteroid. It also beamed some
160,000 images of Eros back to Earth. In February 2001, NEAR Shoemaker
used the last of its fuel in a successful attempt to land on the surface
of the asteroid. Once on the surface, it continued to collect invaluable
data about the oddly shaped Eros before it was finally shut down by NASA.
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