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Missions to Our Solar System
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Pioneer 5
Pioneer 5 Mission to About Our Solar System
Pioneer 5:
Goals: Pioneer 5 was sent into a heliocentric orbit between Earth and Venus as a technology test. It also carried equipment to confirm scientists' theories of an interplanetary magnetic field.

Accomplishments:The spacecraft proved to be a successful test of technologies that would carry later missions in the series -- such as Pioneers 10 and 11 -- deep into the outer solar system. It also confirmed the existence of the interplanetary magnetic field.

Read More About Pioneer 5

Key Dates Links
11 Mar 1960: 
Launch
Status: 
Successful
Fast Facts
Pioneer 5 Facts This spacecraft was initially intended to be sent to Venus, but the mission was changed to test new technologies.

Pioneer 5 carried Telebit, the first digital telemetry system (orginally tested on Explorer 6).
 
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