Pioneer E.

Pioneer E.
NSSDC ID	1969-F12
Mission goal	Investigation of interplanetary space
Client	NASA
Launcher	Thor Delta-L
construction
Takeoff mass	148 kg
Course of the mission
Start date	August 27, 1969
launch pad	CCAFS , LC-17A
End date	August 27, 1969
T + 0 begin T + 31s The hydraulics of the first booster stage signals problems T + 213s Total pressure loss T + 484s Launch vehicle has to be blown up.

Pioneer E was a space probe from the US space agency NASA as part of the Pioneer program. It was the fifth and only failed mission to measure solar activity and its impact on interplanetary space after four successful ones. Like Pioneer 6 , Pioneer 7 , Pioneer 8 and Pioneer 9, it was supposed to take measurements in a heliocentric orbit and warn of solar storms , among other things .

construction

Pioneer E had a cylindrical body with a height of 81 centimeters and a diameter of 94 centimeters. In addition to an internal battery, the probe was covered with a total of 10,368 solar cells on its body, which were supposed to ensure the power supply. The probe was supposed to be stabilized by a twist and had several nozzles operated with nitrogen. There were a total of eight different instruments on board:

1. Three-axis magnetometer
2. Telescope for measuring the cosmic background radiation
3. Instrument for measuring electric fields / field strength ("Electric Field (Strength) Detector" [EFSD])
4. Instrument for measuring radio wave propagation ("Radio Propagation Detector" [RPD])
5. Instrument for 90 ° analysis ("four-sphere") of surrounding (plasma) particles with very low energy ("Quadrispherical Plasma Analyzer" [QPA])
6. Instrument for measuring the anisotropy of cosmic rays ("Cosmic Ray Anisotropy Detector" [CRAD])
7. Instrument for measuring the intensity of the "regional" existing cosmic dust ("Cosmic Dust Detector" [CDD])
8. Instrument for the analysis and measurement of celestial body movements and their (mass) influence on the gravitational forces in space ("Celestial Mechanics Experiment" [CME])

mission

The mission lasted only a few minutes due to a false start:

• T + 31s: Only 31 seconds after the start there were first problems with the hydraulics of the first stage of the booster.
• T + 213s: Presumably complete loss of pressure, only four seconds before the first stage burns out.
• T + 484s: Although the second stage worked normally, the malfunction of the first stage could no longer be compensated and the launcher had to be blown up for safety reasons.

Results

The mission failed and brought no results.

Web links

Commons : Pioneer (space probe program)  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Bernd Leitenberger: The Pioneer Program

Individual evidence

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