Pioneer 10 Pioneer 10 was an American Pioneer Program deep space probe that was in service with NASA in the late 20th century . This probe was used for surveying the interplanetary medium past the planet Mars and for exploration of the Jovian system . Some time before 2287 , the probe passed into Klingon territory , where it was destroyed by the Bird - of - Prey commanded by Captain Klaa . ( ) " Pioneer 10 " carried a metal plaque on its hull , designed to give alien lifeform s basic , non - language - specific , information about its origin and its creators . A copy of this plaque was on display in Rain Robinson ' s office . ( ; ) Appendices . Background information . " Pioneer 10 " was launched from Earth on March 3 , 1972 . The first Human space probe to explore the outer solar system , its primary mission was to analyze the planet Jupiter . Launched on a solar escape trajectory , it became the first man - made object to leave Sol ' s traditional planetary zone in 1988 . As it passed through the extremes of the system , it was charged with investigating particles from the solar wind and cosmic rays . Contact with the probe continued until the final successful contact attempt on January 23 , 2003 . " Pioneer " s intended course will eventually take it to the vicinity of the Aldebaran system . Though depicted as being destroyed in Klingon territory in the late 23rd century , in actuality the spacecraft ' s speed is so slow it will not reach Aldebaran for two million years . On its current trajectory , by 2287 , " Pioneer 10 " should be roughly 820 AU from Earth ( about 0 . 012 light years ) . Studio model . Modeled after an existing piece of NASA hardware , the studio model was neither specifically designed nor built , but rather modeled after the for . Gregory Jein , whose company , Gregory Jein , Inc . was tasked with the build of the model by Associates and Ferren ( NY ) , commented , " " The satellite was supposed to be floating junk in space which ends up being used for target practice , so certain sections had to be rigged to break away . We worked from photos of the real " Pioneer 5 " , which was surprisingly small – our model is very nearly 1 : 1 scale , about six feet across . The dish turned out to be the exact size and shape of a home satellite dish , so we used a real one , and Mike Joyce machined a lot of parts for its rotational axis . " " ( " American Cinematographer " , July 1989 , p . 81 ) Though delivered to Ferren ' s Hoboken studios according to specifications , modifications were deemed necessary . Robert Lyons of Associates and Ferren recalled , " " When we received the " Pioneer " probe from Greg Jein ' s shop , it was strictly a nonfunctional model . The requirements of the shots demanded that it have a different axis of motion above and beyond what the model mover was able to give it . So , in Hoboken , we cut open the model and built an internal structure to house a central motor . That was the mechanism that allowed it to do its spinning motion " " Unaccustomed as the effects house was with , the model was coated with a Y - 1 yellow dulling gel , to neutralize blue - spill . Mounted vertically , problems with blue - screen photography caused Ferren and Co . to choose for a stop - motion technique ( as a continuous filmed shot caused the long antennae to blur out on film ) which , though promising in pre - production , ended up , after the process of post - production compositing , in a stuttering effect as was eventually shown on screen . After being hit by Klaa ' s Bird - of - Prey electric discharges crackled all over the NASA probe , which were animated effects , created by Animation Supervisor Susan Tremblay , composited over the model shots in post - production . The model was subsequently detonated . Originally the explosion was intended to be embellished by specially shot footage of additional explosions , for which Pyrotechnics Expert Steve Kirshoff executed 26 dynamic explosions . Model Photography Designer noted , chagrined , " " We shot a lot of beautiful explosions . We rented fireproof curtains and shot high - speed . As soon as we completed the pyro , we heard that the shot was out , then in , then out again . Nobody would tell us why . " " Only the original explosion that destroyed the model was used . ( " Cinefex " , issue 42 , p . 56 , 58 )