Launched from Cape Canaveral on March 3, 1972, Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to travel through the asteroid belt. It made direct observations of Jupiter, which it passed by on December 3, 1973. It continues on its journey toward Aldebaran, located in Taurus. Its role was to study solar wind parameters, cosmic rays, planetary and interplanetary magnetic fields, neutral hydrogen abundancy, Jovian radio waves, Jupiter’s atmosphere and some of its satellites. Last contact with the craft was in 2003 and three years later a final attempt to contact Pioneer 10 failed.