September 30, 2022
On this date in 1995, NASA scientists made final contact with Pioneer 11. This was the first spacecraft to study Saturn up close. Among the top discoveries of Pioneer 11 are the F ring, a new moon, and the temperature of Saturn. When final contact was made, the spacecraft was 44.1 AU from Earth and continuing its journey into space.
This Pioneer 11 image shows both Saturn and the moon Titan and was taken from a distance of 1,768,422 miles (2,846,000 km). Image credit: NASA Ames