Name: Pioneer 9 — Thor Delta E1
Start: 1968-11-08T09:46:29Z
End: 1968-11-08T09:46:29Z
Location: Space Launch Complex 17B

Question 1

What rocket is launching Pioneer 9?

Accepted Answer

Pioneer 9 is launching on the Thor Delta E1.

Question 2

Who is launching Pioneer 9?

Accepted Answer

Pioneer 9 is being launched by United States Air Force, a government launch provider founded in 1947.

Question 3

Where is Pioneer 9 launching from?

Accepted Answer

Pioneer 9 is launching from Space Launch Complex 17B at Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.

Question 4

What orbit is Pioneer 9 heading to?

Accepted Answer

Pioneer 9 is heading to Heliocentric N/A (Helio-N/A).

Question 5

Is the Thor Delta E1 reusable?

Accepted Answer

No — the Thor Delta E1 is an expendable launch vehicle.

Question 6

How many times has the Thor Delta E1 flown?

Accepted Answer

The Thor Delta E1 has launched 17 times to date, with 16 successful flights.

Question 7

What is the Pioneer 9 mission?

Accepted Answer

Pioneer A to E (Pioneer 6 to 9 after launch) were a series of five solar-orbiting, spin-stabilized, solar-cell and battery-powered satellites designed to obtain measurements of interplanetary phenomena from widely separated points in space on a continuing basis.

Question 8

Where is Cape Canaveral Space Force Station?

Accepted Answer

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station sits on Florida's Atlantic coast, on the Eastern Range run by the U.S. Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45. It is the United States' busiest launch site and has been America's gateway to orbit since the 1950s.

Question 9

Which rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

SpaceX flies Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40, and United Launch Alliance flies the Vulcan Centaur (and the retiring Atlas V) from Space Launch Complex 41.

Question 10

Is Cape Canaveral the same as the Kennedy Space Center?

Accepted Answer

No. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center are separate, neighbouring sites — Kennedy is on Merritt Island just to the north. Together they make up Florida's 'Space Coast'.

Question 11

Why do rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Its pads sit on the Eastern Range, letting rockets fly east out over the Atlantic toward the equatorial and geostationary orbits most commercial and national-security payloads need, away from populated land.

Question 12

Can you watch a launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Space Coast is one of the easiest places in the world to watch a launch from public land. Popular free spots include Playalinda Beach, Space View Park in Titusville, and Jetty Park at Port Canaveral.

Pioneer 9

Overview

Mission details

Launch Window

Space Launch Complex 17B

Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Frequently asked questions