Pioneer spacecraft

The Pioneer spacecraft are a series of unmanned missions launched by NASA in the 1970s to explore the outer solar system. Notably, Pioneer 10 and 11 were the first spacecraft to travel beyond the asteroid belt and provide crucial data about Jupiter and Saturn. They helped scientists understand the planets' atmospheres, magnetic fields, and moons. Pioneer 10, launched in 1972, was also the first human-made object to leave the solar system. Both spacecraft carry a unique golden record with information about humanity, intended for any potential extraterrestrial life that might encounter them.