science ๐ช Pioneer 11 first visits Saturn in 1979
NASA's Pioneer 11 probe became the first spacecraft to fly by Saturn on September 1, 1979. This mission utilized Jupiter's gravity assist to reach Saturn, four years and nine months after launching in 1973. During its closest approach, it gathered data and photographed Saturn, discovering new moons and a ring. This pioneering flight path helped prepare for the Voyager probes' later visits to the outer planets. The probe survived for 22 years before ceasing operations in 1995. ๐