Pioneer 10 Now Silent:
Eric Meyer points out that the Pioneer 10 spacecraft has gone silent. Presumably its radioisotope power source has decayed to the point where it is no longer powerful enough to transmit to earth.
Pioneer 10 explored Jupiter, traveled twice as far as the most distant planet in our solar system, and as Earth’s first emissary into space, is carrying a gold plaque that describes what we look like, where we are, and the date when the mission began. Pioneer 10 will continue to coast silently as a ghost ship into interstellar space, heading generally for the red star Aldebaran, which forms the eye of the constellation Taurus (The Bull). Aldebaran is about 68 light-years away. It will take Pioneer 10 more than two million years to reach it.
Farewell brave fellow! Wouldn’t it be cool if we were one day able to bring you back home?
