Pioneer Odyssey
Date: 15 Jul 1972

NASA's Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to enter the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. It went on to become the first human-made object to reach Jupiter, our solar system's largest planet.

The mission was NASA's first to the outer planets. Pioneer 10 took about 300 photos of Jupiter. Jupiter's powerful gravity propeled Pioneer 10 on a course to Saturn and eventually into interstellar space.

Both Pioneers 10 and 11 carry a plaque containing information about the human race and its home in our solar system.

Credit: NASA