2007/01/01 by Michael Martin Nieto, John D. Anderson · 2 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics #Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life #gr-qc
paper · pdf · doi:10.1080/00107510701462061
published as Contemp.Phys.48:41-54,2007 · 24 pages 8 figures
openalex publication_date 2007/01/01 · arxiv created 2007/09/25 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
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 unmodelled force of ∼8×10−8 cm s−2, directed approximately towards the Sun, appeared in the tracking signal. It later was unambiguously verified as being in the data and not an artefact. 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 programmes to resolve the issue.