1. Plow
No one knows who invented the plow, or exactly when it happened. It probably developed independently in a number of regions, and there is evidence of its use in prehistory. Before the plow, people were farmers or hunter/gatherers. Their lives were devoted solely to finding enough food to survive from one season to the next. Growing food added some resilience to life, but growing food by hand was labor-intensive and time-consuming. The plow changed all that.
2. Wheel
Before the invention of the wheel in 3500 BC. humans were severely limited in how much material we could transport on land and how far. With the invention of the wheel, work productivity became an order of magnitude higher.
3. Nail
Without nails, civilization will undoubtedly collapse. This key invention dates back to the ancient Roman period (2000 years ago) and only became possible after humans developed the ability to cast metal.
4. Compass
The earliest compasses were most likely invented by the Chinese around 1050 BC. It was made from lodstone, which is an iron ore with natural magnetization. The invention of the electromagnet in 1825 led to the development of the modern compass.
5. Concrete
Concrete is one of the most widely used man-made materials. One of the key components of concrete is cement. The foundation of cement was laid in 1300 BC. Middle Eastern builders covered the exterior of their clay forts with thin, wet burnt limestone, which reacted chemically with gases in the air to form a hard, protective surface. Around 6500 BC the first concrete structures were built by Nabataean or Bedouin traders in southern Syria and northern Jordan.
6. Battery
The prehistoric battery dates back to the Parthian Empire, which may be around 2,000 years old. The old battery consisted of a clay jar filled with a vinegar solution, into which was inserted a copper cylinder surrounded by an iron rod. These batteries may have been used to galvanize silver.
7. Banknote
Currency has taken various forms throughout history. Due to frequent coin shortages, banks issued paper notes as a promise to pay the precious metals in the future. The idea of using a light substance as money originated in China during the Han Dynasty in 118 BC. Through travelers to Europe this idea was introduced in the 13th century.
8. Optical lenses
From glasses to microscopes and telescopes, optical lenses have greatly expanded the capabilities of our vision. They have a long history, first invented by the ancient Egyptians, with key theories of light and vision contributed by the ancient Greeks.
9. Paper
Invented around 100 BC. in China, paper was indispensable in allowing us to write down and share our ideas.
10. Chess
One of the world famous games, both at home and for professionals. They were invented in India as a transformation from the Indian game Chaturanga.
Today, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin celebrates his 65th birthday. Like any politician, he did not escape the fate of being criticized. And yet, the merits of the Russian head of state are recognized throughout the world. Even Western politicians and the media, who are stingy with praise, often acknowledge the obvious successes of Russia and its leader.
1. Preventing the threat of the collapse of the country, defeating terrorism.
Vladimir Putin led Russia at a time when the country was in a rather precarious state, both economically and politically. Another default had just occurred, the economy was stagnating, the population was impoverished. Terrorists in the North Caucasus created their own enclave and began to expand it, intimidating the population of the entire country. The strict order that the new head of state established was expressed in the destruction of the bandit underground in Chechnya, the restoration of state authorities, as well as the implementation of large-scale territorial and administrative reform, when the newly built scheme of interaction between the center and the regions showed its effectiveness.
“The West cannot forgive Vladimir Putin for reviving the country,” says the French publication Boulevard Voltaire. “It is the return to Russian values as a means of solving problems that irritates both the US and the EU.”
2. Preservation and strengthening of Russia’s international influence
Russia is a member of the UN Security Council, a country with veto power, as well as an equal (and in some cases very influential) participant in most major international alliances. In addition, under Vladimir Putin, alternative alliances to Western structures have been created and are operating effectively. For example, SCO, CSTO. Economic integration is developing on the basis of the EurAsEC, and the role of BRICS is increasing.
“In Europe, building a security system without Russia is impossible,” European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker recently said. “That is why the European Union must treat the Russian Federation as an equal partner.”
“Russia under Putin has become a flexible power, capable of quickly making military and political decisions. It seems to me that these changes will become permanent,” says Francois Heysbourg, president of the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
“Soft power is still power, and when channeled by a strategist like Putin, it can influence governments and non-state actors in ways that give Russia powers it has never enjoyed before,” the Washington-based The Hill tabloid, specializing in news of the US Congress and political campaigns.
3. Opposition to “color revolutions”
Vladimir Putin did not allow nationwide chaos to break out in Russia according to the “Orange Revolutions” scenario.
“There was an opinion that such a crisis would someday break out in Russia itself,” writes the Croatian publication Advance. - That did not happen. Moreover, the color revolutions in Georgia and Ukraine lost their appeal and inspiring potential after the subsequent negative events that resulted in the events of 2008 (in Georgia) and the Ukrainian crisis of 2014.”
The publication Rusreinfo emphasizes that after the failure of the “color revolutions,” the daring, unbridled expansion of NATO into the post-Soviet space was actually suspended.
“The question of countries such as Ukraine or Georgia joining the alliance is now only an illusion,” the publication’s experts say.
4. Return of Crimea
In March 2014, Crimea and Sevastopol returned to their native pier after a long “voyage”. Amid the gnashing of teeth of Kyiv politicians, the West pays tribute to the brilliantly implemented scenario, which made it possible to peacefully and bloodlessly ensure the expression of the will of the Crimeans who wished to connect their future with Russia.
“Putin took advantage of the moment and returned the unjustly seized territory of Crimea to his native country,” writes the aforementioned Advance publication. — The unfair transfer of Crimea to Ukraine in 1954 is a thing of the past, and the famous peninsula has returned to Russia to the delight of the local population. Thus, the people of Crimea received protection from Ukrainian nationalists, and Russia occupied a strategically extremely important region on the Black Sea.”
The return of Crimea was also a triumph for the renewed Russian Armed Forces, which proved their ability to act not with numbers, but with skill, and also with kindness and politeness.
“The Russian army has skillfully used 21st century military tactics,” says former commander of NATO forces in Europe, retired Admiral James Stavridis. “The key to a successful campaign in Crimea was skillfully combined techniques of cyber warfare, active information support and good training of troops.”
5. Revival of the army and navy
Under Vladimir Putin, a new image of the Armed Forces has emerged - strong, modern, well-trained and well-equipped. The State Armaments Program has been adopted and is being implemented, the arsenals of formations and military units are being updated, and new military camps are being built. Social obligations are being fulfilled that were unimaginable even in Soviet times: for example, this concerns the issuance of “real” money to officers to buy their own homes. Competition for military universities is off the charts. The American magazine The National Interest recently ranked the Russian Armed Forces second in the world after the US Army, despite the fact that Russia's military spending is significantly less than that of America.
And the British The Times noted in one of its publications, citing the opinion of the country’s military department: “Russian weapons are more powerful than their British equivalents. This gives President Putin significant potential.”
6. Eliminating the “hornet’s nest” of terrorism in Syria
Today, almost 90 percent of Syrian territory has been cleared of ISIS (an organization banned in the Russian Federation). Russia skillfully used all its tools in resolving the Syrian crisis - from a military campaign to serious political efforts and humanitarian participation. Our country’s role in resolving the confrontation in Syria and ridding this country and the entire region of the terrorist threat is recognized throughout the world. The British conservative magazine The Spectator not long ago summed up the results of the operation that the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out against terrorists.
“Putin’s actions differ sharply from the “clowns from the EU” and the “unreliable Uncle Sam,” the publication notes. — The President of Russia, like the famous Russian commander Kutuzov, avoided the risks of getting bogged down in Syria and emerged from this “swamp” with maximum results. Putin behaves much more boldly than Western leaders. European and American leaders tried in every possible way to make Russia look like an inflated figure, but in the end they themselves turned out to be ridiculous.”
“Putin correctly assessed the situation in Syria from the very beginning,” wrote the same Spectator. — Ordinary Syrians are accustomed to living in a liberal and diverse culture. Much of the Syrian population watched with alarm as their country turned into a Wahhabi theocracy. Assad, despite all his shortcomings and flaws, was a buffer between the population and the internecine massacre. Today, among the two-thirds of Syrians who live in areas controlled by the central government, Assad is more popular than ever. And Putin is a real hero for these people.”
7. Victory in the sanctions confrontation
The current economic ultimatum announced by the West has not brought Russia to its knees. It turned out to my surprise that our country can rely much less on imports, and is even able to feed itself. Today, domestic agriculture generates no less income than, say, the military-industrial complex (its products, by the way, are also still in demand in the world).
“Don’t try to break Russia,” wrote the German publication Bild. “Sanctions, as well as any other political instruments, will not have an effect on a country whose inhabitants did not give up, dying in the millions from hunger and cold during the Second World War. The restrictions with which the United States is trying to isolate Russia from the rest of the world are completely meaningless. Anyone who is even slightly familiar with the history of this great country understands this fact.”
8. Focus on traditional human values, support for religious confessions and denominations
When Vladimir Putin first came to power, the West viciously appealed to his past as an intelligence officer. Among the threats that Western experts foreshadowed for Russia was a “tightening of the screws” against the church. In fact, everything turned out to be exactly the opposite. Temples and mosques are being revived in the country, new places of worship are being built, religious educational institutions operate freely, representatives of all faiths have the opportunity to celebrate holidays and other events. Many leaders of religious associations are members of various public structures; it has become a practice to award church ministers with state awards, which, for example, was difficult to imagine during the USSR.
At a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pope Francis in 2015, the pontiff, in recognition of the Russian leader’s efforts to establish peace, presented the head of the Russian state with a medal with the image of a peacemaker angel. In December 2016, Vladimir Putin topped Forbes' annual ranking of "The World's Most Influential People" for the fourth time in a row, surpassing other world leaders, including US President-elect Donald Trump, then-current US head of state Barack Obama, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
9. Holding the Olympics in Sochi, preparing for the 2018 football championship, establishing the cult of sports in the country
In Russia, after the dismal 1990s, interest in sports is being restored. The country has become the organizer of a number of prestigious international tournaments, youth sports are being actively revived, and the standards of the once famous GTO have returned. The head of state personally sets the tone for this hobby.
“He’s relaxing like Indiana Jones,” wrote the German publication Frankfurter Allgemeinen about Vladimir Putin’s recent fishing trip, contrasting this type of vacation with the vacation that the same Donald Trump chose for himself, going to a golf club in New Jersey.
“Vladimir Putin rushed to Siberia for a real man’s vacation,” German journalists wrote.
The Korean agency Yonhap News noted that the Russian president “looks great without a T-shirt” and recalled that he also plays hockey and judo. And even the British edition of The Guardian, despite the caustic tone of the article, did not deny that Vladimir Putin is in excellent physical shape.
10. Returning self-confidence and pride in their country to Russian citizens
The prosperity and development of the Russian people is the main element and main line in Russian foreign policy, according to adequately thinking Western experts.
“For many Americans, Putin’s popularity is a mystery because they still think of Russia in Cold War terms,” writes Stratfor editor Jay Ogilvy. “This negative view was fueled by the stereotypes of Western mass culture with its endless “Russian villains.”
But we must remember that by the beginning of the 2000s, Russia had lost its status as one of the world’s two leading superpowers; its economy was in chaos. Then the reins of power passed to Putin and the economic situation stabilized. Over the following years, Russians' real incomes increased sevenfold. Under Putin, millions of Russians have joined the global middle class.” However, according to the expert, the strengthening of the national self-awareness of Russians turned out to be associated not only with economic success.
“The main thing is that after the chaos and poverty of the 1990s, after the loss of superpower status, the people of Russia were able to once again be proud of their country,” writes Stratfor.
And this is the main achievement of Vladimir Putin.
1. Preventing the threat of the collapse of the country, defeating terrorism. Vladimir Putin led Russia at a time when the country was in a rather precarious state - both economically and politically. Another default had just occurred, the economy was stagnating, the population was impoverished. Terrorists in the North Caucasus created their own enclave and began to expand it, intimidating the population of the entire country. The strict order that the new head of state imposed was expressed in the destruction of the bandit underground in Chechnya, the restoration of state authorities, as well as in the implementation of large-scale territorial and administrative reform, when the newly built scheme of interaction between the center and the regions showed its effectiveness.
“The West cannot forgive Vladimir Putin for the revival of the country,” says the French publication Boulevard Voltaire. “It is the return to Russian values as a means of solving problems that irritates both the US and the EU.”2. Preservation and strengthening of Russia’s international influence Russia is a member of the UN Security Council, a country with veto power, as well as an equal (and in some cases very influential) participant in most major international alliances. In addition, under Vladimir Putin, alternative alliances to Western structures have been created and are operating effectively. For example, SCO, CSTO. Economic integration based on the EurAsEC is developing, and the role of BRICS is increasing.
“In Europe, building a security system without Russia is impossible,” European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker recently said. “That is why the European Union must treat the Russian Federation as an equal partner.”
“Russia under Putin has become a flexible power, capable of quickly making military and political decisions. It seems to me that these changes will be consolidated on a permanent basis,” says Francois Heysbourg, president of the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
“Soft power is still power, and when channeled by a strategist like Putin, it can influence governments and non-state actors in ways that give Russia powers it has never had before,” the Washington-based The Hill tabloid, specializing in news of the US Congress and political campaigns.3. Opposition to “color revolutions” Vladimir Putin did not allow nationwide chaos to break out in Russia according to the “Orange Revolutions” scenario.
“There was an opinion that such a crisis would someday break out in Russia itself,” writes the Croatian publication Advance. - That did not happen. Moreover, the “color revolutions” in Georgia and Ukraine lost their attractiveness and inspiring potential after the subsequent negative events, which resulted in the events of 2008 (in Georgia) and the Ukrainian crisis of 2014.”
The publication Rusreinfo emphasizes that after the failure of the “color revolutions,” the daring, unbridled expansion of NATO into the post-Soviet space was actually suspended. “The question of countries such as Ukraine or Georgia joining the alliance is now only an illusion,” the publication’s experts believe.4. Return of Crimea In March 2014, Crimea and Sevastopol returned to their native pier after a long “voyage”. Amid the gnashing of teeth of Kyiv politicians, the West pays tribute to the brilliantly implemented scenario, which made it possible to peacefully and bloodlessly ensure the expression of the will of the Crimeans who wished to connect their future with Russia.
“Putin took advantage of the moment and returned the unjustly seized territory of Crimea to his native country,” writes the aforementioned Advance publication. - The unfair transfer of Crimea to Ukraine in 1954 is a thing of the past, and the famous peninsula has returned to Russia to the delight of the local population. Thus, the people of Crimea received protection from Ukrainian nationalists, and Russia occupied a strategically extremely important region on the Black Sea.”
The return of Crimea was also a triumph for the renewed Russian armed forces, which proved their ability to act not with numbers, but with skill, and also with kindness and politeness. “The Russian army has skillfully used 21st century military tactics,” said retired Admiral James Stavridis, former commander of NATO forces in Europe. “The key to a successful campaign in Crimea was skillfully combined techniques of cyber warfare, active information support and good training of troops.”5. Revival of the army and navy Under Vladimir Putin, a new image of the armed forces has emerged - strong, modern, well-trained and well-equipped. The State Armaments Program has been adopted and is being implemented, the arsenals of formations and military units are being updated, and new military camps are being built. Social obligations are being fulfilled that were unimaginable even in Soviet times: for example, this concerns the issuance of “real” money to officers to buy their own homes. Competition for military universities is off the charts. The American magazine The National Interest recently ranked the Russian armed forces second in the world after the US Army, despite the fact that Russia's military spending is significantly less than that of the United States.
And the British The Times noted in one of its publications, citing the opinion of the country’s military department: “Russian weapons are more powerful than their British equivalents. This gives President Putin significant potential.” 6. Eliminating the “hornet’s nest” of terrorism in Syria Today, almost 90% of Syrian territory has been cleared of ISIS (an organization banned in the Russian Federation). Russia skillfully used all its tools in resolving the Syrian crisis - from a military campaign to serious political efforts and humanitarian participation. Our country’s role in resolving the confrontation in Syria and ridding this country and the entire region of the terrorist threat is recognized throughout the world. The British conservative magazine The Spectator not long ago summed up the results of the operation that the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out against terrorists. “Putin’s actions differ sharply from the “clowns from the EU” and the “unreliable Uncle Sam,” the publication notes. - The President of Russia, like the famous Russian commander Kutuzov, avoided the risks of getting bogged down in Syria and emerged from this “swamp” with maximum results. Putin behaves much more boldly than Western leaders. European and American leaders tried in every possible way to make Russia look like an inflated figure, but in the end they themselves turned out to be ridiculous.”
“Putin correctly assessed the situation in Syria from the very beginning,” wrote the same Spectator. - Ordinary Syrians are accustomed to living in a liberal and diverse culture. Much of the Syrian population watched with alarm as their country turned into a Wahhabi theocracy. Assad, despite all his shortcomings and flaws, was a buffer between the population and the internecine massacre. Today, among the two-thirds of Syrians who live in areas controlled by the central government, Assad is more popular than ever. And Putin is a real hero for these people.”7. Victory in the sanctions confrontation The current economic ultimatum announced by the West has not brought Russia to its knees. It turned out to my surprise that our country can rely much less on imports and is even able to feed itself. Today, domestic agriculture generates no less income than, say, the military-industrial complex (its products, by the way, are also still in demand in the world).
“Don’t try to break Russia,” wrote the German publication Bild. - Sanctions, as well as any other political instruments, will not have an effect on a country whose inhabitants did not surrender, dying in the millions from hunger and cold during the Second World War. The restrictions with which the United States is trying to isolate Russia from the rest of the world are completely meaningless. Anyone who is even slightly familiar with the history of this great country understands this fact.”8. Focus on traditional human values, support for religious confessions and denominations
When Vladimir Putin first came to power, the West viciously appealed to his past as an intelligence officer. Among the threats that Western experts foreshadowed for Russia was a “tightening of the screws” against the church. In fact, everything turned out to be exactly the opposite. Temples and mosques are being revived in the country, new places of worship are being built, religious educational institutions operate freely, representatives of all faiths have the opportunity to celebrate holidays and other events. Many leaders of religious associations are members of various public structures; it has become a practice to award church ministers with state awards, which, for example, was difficult to imagine during the USSR.
At a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pope Francis in 2015, the pontiff, in recognition of the Russian leader's efforts to establish peace, presented the head of the Russian state with a medal with the image of a peacemaker angel. In December 2016, Vladimir Putin topped Forbes' annual ranking of "The World's Most Influential People" for the fourth time in a row, surpassing other world leaders, including US President-elect Donald Trump, then-current US head of state Barack Obama, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. and Chinese President Xi Jinping.9. Holding the Olympics in Sochi, preparing for the 2018 football championship, establishing the cult of sports in the country. Interest in sports is being restored in Russia after the dismal 1990s. The country has become the organizer of a number of prestigious international tournaments, youth sports are being actively revived, and the standards of the once famous GTO have returned. The head of state personally sets the tone for this hobby. 
“He’s relaxing like Indiana Jones,” wrote the German publication Frankfurter Allgemeinen about Vladimir Putin’s recent fishing trip, contrasting this type of vacation with the vacation that the same Donald Trump chose for himself, going to a golf club in New Jersey.
“Vladimir Putin rushed to Siberia for a real man’s vacation,” German journalists wrote.The Korean agency Yonhap News noted that the Russian president “looks great without a T-shirt” and recalled that he also plays hockey and judo. And even the British publication The Guardian, despite the caustic tone of the article, did not deny that Vladimir Putin is in excellent physical shape. 10. Returning self-confidence and pride in their country to Russian citizens The prosperity and development of the Russian people is the main element and main line in Russian foreign policy, according to adequately thinking Western experts.
“For many Americans, Putin's popularity is a mystery because they still think of Russia in Cold War terms,” writes Stratfor editor Jay Ogilvy. “This negative view was fueled by stereotypes of Western popular culture with its endless ‘Russian villains’.”
But we must remember that by the beginning of the 2000s, Russia had lost its status as one of the world’s two leading superpowers, and chaos reigned in its economy. Then the reins of power passed to Putin, and the economic situation stabilized. Over the following years, Russians' real incomes increased sevenfold. Under Putin, millions of Russians have joined the global middle class. However, according to the expert, the strengthening of the national self-awareness of Russians turned out to be associated not only with economic success. “The main thing is that after the chaos and poverty of the 1990s, after the loss of superpower status, the people of Russia were able to once again be proud of their country,” writes Stratfor.And this is the main achievement of Vladimir Putin.
11 most significant achievements of science and technological progress since 2000.
2000.
Dean Kamen introduced the first Segway to the public. This vehicle runs on electricity and uses a dynamic stabilizer. The first model did not even have brakes and moved at a speed of 12 miles per hour.
2001.
Dr. Kenneth Matsumura invented an artificial liver grown from animal cells. Such a liver performs all its normal functions, and thanks to special technology, the cells do not merge with the human body, thus not causing any reactions or harm. 
2002.
Ryan Patterson has invented a device that can detect human hand movements and convert them into words on a monitor. To do this, he used a simple golf glove. 
2003.
Toyota introduced a hybrid car that runs on gas and electricity. Among other things, it has an extremely convenient feature - it parks itself. 
2004.
This year there was a new product from Adidas 1 - shoes with a built-in microprocessor. In addition, Robert Langer used a new way of using medicines - using sound waves. 
2005.
This year the world got the famous YouTube website. 
2006.
The invention of 2006 was the so-called Loc8tor. This device attaches radio tags to all objects in your environment, so you can find a lost item at any time. 
2007.
The invention of 2007 is considered to be none other than the famous iPhone from Apple. It was a real breakthrough in the field of mobile technology. 
2008.
The emergence of a special device with which it would be possible to study the DNA of any person based only on a saliva test. Also, Babak Parvitz from the University of Washington invented contact lenses with a built-in display that displays various data, pictures, maps, etc. 
2009.
The device, called The Sixth Sense, was designed to read all human movements and convert them into digital signals. It consists of a projector and a pocket camera connected to a portable processor. 
2010.
The next step in the progress of science seems to be teleportation. At the moment, teleportation capabilities are in the testing phase at the atomic level. A successful experiment was carried out at the University of Maryland, where scientists were able to teleport an atom from one container to another over a distance of a meter. 
Today marks the 46th anniversary of the launch of Pioneer 10, one of the most iconic interplanetary probes in history. On this occasion, the editors have compiled a list of ten main achievements of the mission.
1. The first device aimed at the outer part of the Solar system
Pioneer 10 became the first spacecraft sent to the outer solar system. The purpose of the mission was to explore Jupiter and interplanetary space. Later, they were added to the development of a gravitational maneuver, which made it possible to use the gravity of the gas giant to accelerate the device.
2. The first vehicle to cross the asteroid belt
This may seem extremely far-fetched now, but just half a century ago some experts expressed serious concerns about the possibility of successfully navigating through the Main Asteroid Belt. It was believed that the belt could be filled with a large number of small particles that would cause irreparable damage to any spacecraft that dared to cross it.
Fortunately, these fears were not confirmed. Pioneer 10 proved in practice that it was possible to safely cross the asteroid belt, and its instruments recorded far fewer particles than expected.
3. The first RTG in deep space
Pioneer 10 received energy from a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) containing the plutonium-238 isotope. Thanks to the RTG, the device was able to successfully operate in deep space, where the use of solar panels is impossible. At the time of launch, Pioneer 10 received 165 watts of energy. Due to the decay of plutonium and the gradual degradation of the thermocouple, by 2001 the power generated by the RTG had dropped below 65 watts.
4. The first device to explore Jupiter
On December 4, 1973, Pioneer 10 flew at a distance of 132 thousand km from the clouds of Jupiter, taking the most detailed photographs of the planet at that time. The device collected data on the composition of the atmosphere of the gas giant, determined its mass, and measured the magnetic field strength. He also discovered that the total heat flow from Jupiter is 2.5 times greater than the energy the planet receives from the Sun. In addition, Pioneer 10 took photographs of Jupiter’s largest satellites and clarified their characteristics.
5. The first device to pass through the radiation belts of Jupiter
Pioneer 10 became the first spacecraft to experience the full power of Jupiter's radiation belts. The earthly messenger was exposed to doses of radiation 10,000 times higher than the level of radiation in the Earth's radiation belts. Due to radiation, the Pioneer-10 equipment began to generate false commands, and communication was interrupted several times. As a result, almost all of the images of Io and some of the images of Jupiter were lost. But, despite all the difficulties, Pioneer-10 managed to cope with the test and remain operational.
6. Emmy Award Winner
Photographs of Jupiter taken by Pioneer 10 were shown live. For this, the mission team was subsequently awarded a television Emmy Award.
Thanks to a gravitational maneuver in the vicinity of Jupiter, Pioneer 10 accelerated to a speed that allowed it to leave the solar system forever. Since then, only four spacecraft have repeated this achievement.
8. The most distant human-made object... before Voyagers
For a quarter of a century after its launch, Pioneer 10 retained the title of the most distant human-made object. Only in 1998 it was surpassed by the legendary Voyager 1.
9. The first device with a message for extraterrestrial civilizations
At the insistence of the famous popularizer of science Carl Sagan, shortly before launch, an aluminum plate with a message for representatives of extraterrestrial civilizations was placed on board Pioneer 10. It is engraved with a schematic image of a person against the background of the device, basic information about the Solar System, and a pulsar map that allows you to determine the location of the Sun in the Milky Way.
10. 30 years of work instead of 21 months
The nominal operating time of Pioneer-10 was 21 months. But the device laid down a good tradition, many times exceeding all planned deadlines. Officially, the Pioneer 10 mission ended in 1997. However, for several years after this, NASA maintained contact with the device. The last telemetry from the station was received on April 27, 2002. The last, very weak radio signal was on January 23, 2003.
Now Pioneer 10 is at a distance of 120 AU. from the Sun and annually moves away from it by another 2.5 AU. It is expected that in 2 million years, Pioneer 10 will reach the vicinity of the star Aldebaran.