Pioneer 5

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Class: Solar. Destination: Solar Orbit. Nation: USA. Agency: USAF, NASA. Manufacturer: TRW.

Pioneer 5 was designed to provide the first map of the interplanetary magnetic field. The vehicle functioned for a record 106 days, and communicated with Earth from a record distance of 36.2 million km. Spacecraft: Spin stabilized. Four deployed/fixed solar paddles providing 16 watts.

Design Life: 1 month. Typical orbit: Solar orbit, 0.806 x 0.995 AU. Length: 0.66 m (2.16 ft). Maximum Diameter: 0.66 m (2.16 ft). Span: 1.40 m (4.50 ft). Mass: 43 kg (94 lb).

Pioneer 5 Chronology

1960 March 11 - Pioneer 5 - Program: Pioneer. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: LC17A. Launch Vehicle: Delta. Mass: 43 kg (94 lb).
Solar research. Solar Orbit (Heliocentric). Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B).

Bibliography:

McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page (launch records), Harvard University, 1997-present. Web Address when accessed: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.
JPL Mission and Spacecraft Library, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1997. Web Address when accessed: http://msl.jpl.nasa.gov/home.html.
McDowell, Jonathan, Launch Log, October 1998. Web Address when accessed: http://hea-www.harvard.edu/~jcm/space/log/launch.html.

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© Mark Wade, 1997 - 2008 except where otherwise noted.