Pioneer 6

Launch Success

Liftoff Time (GMT)

07:31:00

Thursday December 16, 1965

Watch Replay

24/7 Coverage

Mission Details

Pioneer 6

Wiki

Pioneer 6 was the first in a series of solar-orbiting, spin-stabilized, solar-cell and battery-powered satellites designed to obtain measurements on a continuing basis of interplanetary phenomena from widely separated points in space. Its experiments studied the positive ions and electrons in the solar wind, the interplanetary electron density (radio propagation experiment), solar and galactic cosmic rays, and the interplanetary magnetic field. Its main antenna was a high-gain directional antenna. Although the spacecraft has not been regularly tracked for science data return in recent years, a successful telemetry contact was made on 8 Dec. 2000 to celebrate 35 years of continuous operation since launch.

Heliocentric Orbit

1 Payload

146 kilograms

Rocket

Retired
Delta E

Active 1965 to 1967


Payload to Orbit

LEO: 735 kg

GTO: 150 kg

Stages

3

Strap-ons

3

Launch Site

SLC-17A

Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA

Fastest Turnaround

11 days 12 hours

Stats

Delta E


2nd

Mission

2nd

Mission of 1965

1965


116th

Orbital launch attempt