Dec 5 1988
From The Space Library
The Pioneer Venus orbiter spacecraft marked 10 years of orbital observations of the cloud-draped planet. Ceremonies were held at NASA's Ames Research Center, Mountain View, California, to celebrate Pioneer's accomplishments. December 9 would also mark 10 years since a companion spacecraft, Pioneer Venus 2, had entered the atmosphere of Venus along with four hard-impact probes it had released. Observations by Pioneer revealed a great deal about the atmospheric content of Venus, plate tectonics, volcanic activity, and the magnetic field. Pioneer had also observed five comets, including Halley. Pioneer, whose orbit was deteriorating, was scheduled to cease operating in August 1992 and be destroyed upon entering the lower atmosphere of Venus. (NASA Release 88-165)
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