Only these six spacecraft will ever escape the Solar System

"Whereas a spacecraft must achieve speeds of 11 km/s to escape from Earth's gravity, speeds nearly four times as great must be achieved at the Earth-Sun distance to escape from the Solar System entirely."

"The most remarkable fact about Pioneer 10's trajectory is that it gained nearly the maximum amount of velocity possible from a gravitational encounter with Jupiter. After becoming the first spacecraft to reach Jupiter in late 1973, it became the first spacecraft to achieve escape velocity in the Solar System."

"Of over 17,000 payloads launched into space, only six will escape the Solar System's gravity."

The Sun's gravity dominates the Solar System across most locations, requiring escape velocities nearly four times greater than Earth's surface escape velocity. Of the 17,000+ payloads launched into space, only six achieve escape velocity from the Solar System. Pioneer 10, launched in 1972, became the first spacecraft to reach Jupiter and subsequently the first to achieve Solar System escape velocity following its December 1973 Jupiter encounter. This gravitational assist maneuver provided nearly maximum velocity gain possible. Pioneer 10 remained the most distant spacecraft until Voyager 1 surpassed it in 1998. Pioneer 11 followed a similar trajectory, using Jupiter's gravity to reach Saturn and discovering Saturn's moon Epimetheus.

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