3 research outputs found
Search for a Solution of the Pioneer Anomaly
In 1972 and 1973 the Pioneer 10 and 11 missions were launched. They were the
first to explore the outer solar system and achieved stunning breakthroughs in
deep-space exploration. But beginning in about 1980 an unmodeled force of \sim
8 \times 10^{-8} cm/s^2, directed approximately towards the Sun, appeared in
the tracking data. It later was unambiguously verified as being in the data and
not an artifact. The cause remains unknown (although radiant heat remains a
likely origin). With time more and more effort has gone into understanding this
anomaly (and also possibly related effects). We review the situation and
describe ongoing programs to resolve the issue.Comment: 24 pages 8 figure