The Pioneer Probes Are Way Off-Course

The video discusses the Pioneer anomaly, a mysterious deceleration of Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecraft. Initially discovered in the 1980s, the anomaly puzzled scientists for decades. It was eventually attributed to thermal radiation from the spacecraft's components. The investigation involved extensive data retrieval and simulation, revealing that the tiny force from thermal radiation was enough to alter the probes' trajectories. This finding resolved the anomaly and highlighted the importance of accounting for thermal effects in spacecraft design.

What were some of the theories proposed to explain the Pioneer anomaly?

How did the design of the Pioneer probes affect their response to thermal radiation?