Pioneer 7

Launch Success

Liftoff Time (GMT)

15:20:00

Wednesday August 17, 1966

Watch Replay

24/7 Coverage

Mission Details

Pioneer 7

Wiki

Pioneer 7 was the second in a series of solar-orbiting, spin-stabilized, solar-cell and battery-powered satellites designed to obtain measurements of interplanetary phenomena from widely separated points in space on a continuing basis. The spacecraft carried experiments to study 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. The spacecraft was last tracked successfully in March 1995, there are no further plans to track or attempt communication with Pioneer 7.

Heliocentric Orbit

1 Payload

138 kilograms

Rocket

Retired
Delta E1

Active 1966 to 1971


Payload to Orbit

GTO: 205 kg

Stages

3

Strap-ons

3

Launch Site

SLC-17A

Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA

Fastest Turnaround

11 days 12 hours

Stats

Delta E


5th

Mission

3rd

Mission of 1966

1966


82nd

Orbital launch attempt