SUMMARY: Later this week, NASA scientists will attempt to contact the distant Pioneer 10 spacecraft, which was launched 30 years ago. The team will try to reach the spacecraft by focussing a radio telescope at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Deep Space Network (DSN) in Madrid, Spain. Launched on March 2, 1972, Pioneer 10 is now 11.9 billion kilometres away from the Earth and hasn't been heard from since April 2001.

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relative to the other objects in the solar system, I know pioneer 10 is well past pluto's orbit, but would it be in the Oort cloud now? just how far is 11.9 billion kilometres?

__________________
Damien,
International Baccalaureate Physics teacher
Optics, Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing Instrumentation Major
Admin: Pacific Science and Art

~85 AU; ~7.78 billion miles
Pioneer travel 2.75 AU/yrs, Started counting from yrs 1973 - 2004
2.75 x 31 yrs = 85.25
still confined to the Kuiper Belt, not there yet

my question ^^, at that time when Pioneer 10 reach its distination, are gonna see our own Galaxy (Entire Look)?

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>< >< >< >< >< >< >< ><.....cold

now that would be something - if they can restart communications and get some data from the Kuiper Belt, that'd be very interesting also, I wonder if it at all possible that it has been destroyed (heavens forebid).

__________________
Damien,
International Baccalaureate Physics teacher
Optics, Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing Instrumentation Major
Admin: Pacific Science and Art