Pioneer Space Probe 10 and 11

Pioneer 10 is an American space probe that completed the first mission to the planet Jupiter in 1972. The probe has got its identical twin Pioneer 11, that was released into the space the year after. This one was used for exploration of Jupiter, Saturn and the outer parts of the Solar system.

Pioneer 10 was assembled around a hexagonal bus with a 2.74 meters (9 ft) diameter parabolic dish of high-gain antenna, and the spacecraft was spin stabilized around the axis of the antenna. Its electric power was supplied by four radioisotope thermoelectric generators.

Radio communication was lost with Pioneer 10 on January 23, 2003, because of the loss of electric power for its radio transmitter. Pioneer 10 and 11 both carry a gold-anodized aluminum plaque in the event that either spacecraft is ever found by intelligent lifeforms from other planetary systems.