Scientific results from the Pioneer Saturn encounter - Summary

The scientific results of the Pioneer Saturn encounter with Saturn are summarized. The Pioneer mission was designed to image the planet, its satellites and rings, and measure its particulate environment and the magnetic field and photon and charged particle radiation by means of 11 operational scientific instruments and its 2.293-GHz telemetry carrier signal. Principle results of the mission include the discovery of an additional ring and a previously unidentified satellite, the further characterization of the physical properties of Saturn and its magnetic field, and the description of the planetary magnetosphere. The successful completion of the mission demonstrated the ability of spacecraft such as Voyager 1 and 2 to survive the particle environments of Saturn's rings and trapped radiation environments, and Pioneer Saturn is expected to continue transmitting information on the interplanetary medium and the solar wind interaction with the interstellar medium until the mid-1980's.