Voyager - World's The Greatest Space Mission

The twin Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft are exploring where nothing from Earth has flown before. Continuing on their more-than-40-year journey since their 1977 launches, they each are much farther away from Earth and the sun than Pluto. In August 2012, Voyager 1 made the historic entry into interstellar space, the region between stars, filled with material ejected by the death of nearby stars millions of years ago. Voyager 2 entered interstellar space on November 5, 2018 and scientists hope to learn more about this region. Both spacecraft are still sending scientific information about their surroundings through the Deep Space Network, or DSN.

The primary mission was the exploration of Jupiter and Saturn. After making a string of discoveries there — such as active volcanoes on Jupiter's moon Io and intricacies of Saturn's rings — the mission was extended. Voyager 2 went on to explore Uranus and Neptune, and is still the only spacecraft to have visited those outer planets. The adventurers' current mission, the Voyager Interstellar Mission (VIM), will explore the outermost edge of the Sun's domain. And beyond.

1. VOYAGER Mission July 16, 1969 - July 24, 1969 Anshul Kumar Sahoo The world’s greatest space mission

2. CONTENT Mission Overview Journey & Discoveries Golden Record Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Extended mission Gallery

3. MISSION OVERVIEW

4. MISSION OVERVIEW The Voyager program, consisting of the twin spacecraft Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, was conceived and launched with specific objectives in mind. These twin spacecraft were designed for the primary mission of exploring the outer planets in our solar system, but they've since ventured into interstellar space, far beyond their original objectives. Voyager 2 was launched first, on August 20, 1977, followed by Voyager 1 on September 5, 1977. Despite being launched later, Voyager 1's trajectory was a faster path, allowing it to arrive at and depart Jupiter before Voyager 2. Their primary mission was to explore the outer planets Jupiter and Saturn, their magnetospheres, and their major moons .

5. MISSION OVERVIEW Voyager 1 Mission Jupiter: Study the atmosphere, magnetosphere, and overall characteristics of the gas giant. Study the major moons of Jupiter, especially Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto . The active volcanoes on Io were one of the most spectacular discoveries. Saturn: Detailed investigation of Saturn, its rings, and its magnetosphere. Special attention to the largest moon of Saturn, Titan, because of its dense atmosphere. Voyager 2 Mission Uranus: Study the atmosphere, magnetosphere, and ring system of Uranus. Examine Uranus's moons. Neptune: Investigate the atmosphere, magnetosphere, and rings of Neptune. Study Neptune's moons, especially Triton.

6. MISSION OVERVIEW Into the Interstellar Medium: Voyager 1 entered interstellar space in 2012, becoming the first human-made object to do so. It's currently traveling through a region termed the " heliosheath " where the solar wind slows down and merges with the interstellar medium. Voyager 2 followed suit in 2018, giving scientists the second direct measure of the environment in interstellar space. A poster of the planets and moons visited during the Voyager program.

7. MISSION OVERVIEW Interactive 3D Image of Voyager

8. JUPITER

9. JUPITER Jupiter's Atmosphere: The Voyagers captured detailed images of Jupiter's cloud bands, storms, and atmospheric dynamics. The Great Red Spot, a massive storm larger than Earth, was observed in detail. Moons: Io: The spacecraft discovered active volcanoes on Io, marking the first time volcanic activity was observed outside of Earth. Europa: Images hinted at a smooth icy surface, which later led to speculations about a subsurface ocean. Ganymede & Callisto : Both moons were observed in detail, with Ganymede revealed as the largest moon in the solar system and having its own magnetic field. Magnetosphere: The Voyagers studied Jupiter's vast and powerful magnetosphere, discovering a unique interaction with its moon Io, which produces a torus of ionized sulfur and oxygen around the planet. Ring System: Voyager 1 confirmed the existence of a faint ring system around Jupiter.

10. JUPITER Photography of Jupiter began in January 1979, when images of the brightly banded planet already exceeded the best taken from Earth. Voyager 1 completed its Jupiter encounter in early April, after taking almost 19,000 pictures and many other scientific measurements. Voyager 2 picked up the baton in late April and its encounter continued into August. They took more than 33,000 pictures of Jupiter and its five major satellites.

11. JUPITER

12. JUPITER

13. JUPITER

14. JUPITER

15. JUPITER

16. SATURN

17. SATURN Saturn's Atmosphere: The Voyagers observed large-scale features, storm patterns, and analyzed the temperature and composition. Ring System: The spacecraft provided close-up views of Saturn's rings, discovering fainter rings and intricate structures within them, such as ringlets and spokes. They detailed gaps like the Cassini Division. Titan: Voyager 1 closely observed this moon, revealing a thick atmosphere rich in nitrogen and hydrocarbons. The intrigue surrounding Titan played a significant role in directing future missions to Saturn. Other Moons: The Voyagers observed many of Saturn's moons, including hints of geologic activity on Enceladus. Magnetosphere: Saturn's magnetic field and its interactions with the solar wind, rings, and moons were studied.

18. SATURN The Voyager 1 and 2 Saturn encounters occurred nine months apart, in November 1980 and August 1981. Voyager 1 is leaving the solar system. Voyager 2 completed its encounter with Uranus in January 1986 and with Neptune in August 1989, and is now also en route out of the solar system.

19. SATURN

20. SATURN

21. GALLERY

22. SATURN

23. SATURN

24. URANUS

25. URANUS Uranus' Atmosphere: The planet's blue-green color was confirmed to be due to the presence of methane, which absorbs red light. The atmosphere was observed to be relatively featureless during the flyby, with only a few small clouds identified. Tilted Planet: One of the most unique features of Uranus observed was its extreme axial tilt, with the planet's poles almost lying in the plane of its orbit around the Sun. Ring System: Voyager 2 provided the first close-up images of Uranus' faint and dark ring system. The rings are distinctively narrow compared to those of other gas giants. Moons: Voyager 2 observed several of Uranus' moons in detail. The icy surfaces of moons like Miranda displayed varied and unique terrains, with huge canyons, terraced layers, and a mix of older and newer surfaces, suggesting past geologic activity. Magnetosphere: Voyager 2 discovered that Uranus has an unusual magnetic field, which is not centered on the planet's core and is tilted significantly from the planet's rotation axis.

26. URANUS In the summer of 1989, NASA’s Voyager 2 became the first spacecraft to observe the planet Neptune, its final planetary target. Passing about 4,950 kilometers (3,000 miles) above Neptune’s north pole, Voyager 2 made its closest approach to any planet since leaving Earth 12 years ago. Five hours later, Voyager 2 passed about 40,000 kilometers (25,000 miles) from Neptune’s largest moon, Triton, the last solid body the spacecraft will have an opportunity to study.

27. URANUS

28. URANUS

29. URANUS

30. URANUS

31. URANUS

32. NEPTUNE

33. NEPTUNE Neptune's Atmosphere: Voyager 2 captured images of Neptune's deep-blue atmosphere, revealing large-scale storms and persistent cloud bands. The most notable feature was the "Great Dark Spot," a storm similar in nature (though not in size) to Jupiter's Great Red Spot. Ring System: Voyager 2 obtained detailed images of Neptune's faint ring system. The rings of Neptune are relatively dark and contain clumps of denser material. Moons: The spacecraft provided close-up views of several of Neptune's moons. Triton: One of the mission's most significant discoveries was the observation of geysers erupting from Triton's polar cap, spewing nitrogen gas and dark dust particles several kilometers into space. Triton's retrograde orbit and other characteristics suggest it might have been captured by Neptune and was originally a Kuiper Belt object. Magnetosphere: Voyager 2 discovered that, like Uranus, Neptune's magnetic field is highly tilted relative to its rotation axis and is not centered at the core.

34. NEPTUNE Photography of Jupiter began in January 1979, when images of the brightly banded planet already exceeded the best taken from Earth. Voyager 1 completed its Jupiter encounter in early April, after taking almost 19,000 pictures and many other scientific measurements. Voyager 2 picked up the baton in late April and its encounter continued into August. They took more than 33,000 pictures of Jupiter and its five major satellites.

35. NEPTUNE

36. NEPTUNE

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38. NEPTUNE

39. NEPTUNE

40. MISSION OVERVIEW

41. GALLERY In December 1972, the science steering group for a mission then-known as Mariner Jupiter Saturn 1977 -- later renamed Voyager -- met for the first time at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. They are gathered on the steps in front of the administration building (180).

42. GALLERY This archival photo shows the encapsulation of the Voyager Development Test Model at NASA's Kennedy Space Center's Eastern Test Range. The picture was taken on October 8, 1976. This image shows one of the Voyagers in the 25-foot space simulator chamber at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. The photo is dated April 27, 1977.

43. GALLERY This archival photo shows the Voyager proof test model, which did not fly in space, in the 25-foot space simulator chamber at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, on December 3, 1976. his archival photo shows the Voyager Proof Test Model undergoing a mechanical preparation and weight center of gravity test at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, on January 12, 1977.

44. GALLERY The Voyager 2 spacecraft, encapsulated within its payload fairing, is seen in August 1977, as it was being hoisted upward for attachment to its launch vehicle at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Voyager weight and the centre of gravity in Hanger AO at Cape Canavarel Air Force Station

45. GALLERY As NASA's two Voyager spacecraft travel out into deep space, they carry a small American flag and a Golden Record packed with pictures and sounds -- mementos of our home planet. The Voyager 2 spacecraft, which was the first of the two Voyagers to launch, is seen at the Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

46. GALLERY NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft, encapsulated within its payload fairing, is seen on August 5, 1977. It launched atop the Titan/Centaur-7 launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on August 20, 1977, at 10:29 a.m. local time. The Titan/Centaur-6 launch vehicle was moved to Launch Complex 41 at Kennedy Space Center in Florida to complete checkout procedures in preparation for launch. The photo is dated January 1977. This launch vehicle carried Voyager 1 into space on September 5, 1977

47. GALLERY NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft launched atop its Titan/Centaur-7 launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on August 20, 1977, at 10:29 a.m. local time. NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft launched atop its Titan/Centaur-6 launch vehicle from the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex in Florida on September 5, 1977, at 8:56 a.m. local time.

48. REFERENCE https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/ https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/ https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/galleries/images-voyager-took/ https://pds-rings.seti.org/voyager/iss/raw_images.html