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Missions Encyclopedia Entry 1780891326

** The **Voyager 1** and **Voyager 2** missions are a pair of NASA space probes launched in 1977 to study the outer Solar System and beyond, providing groundbreaking insights into the heliosphere and interstellar space. ## Overview The Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 missions are a pair of twin spacecraft designed to explore the outer Solar System and beyond. Launched in 1977, these missions were part of NASA's Grand Tour program, which aimed to take advantage of a rare alignment of the outer planets in the Solar System. The Voyager spacecraft were built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and were designed to study the outer planets, their moons, and the heliosphere, the region of space influenced by the Sun. The Voyager spacecraft are equipped with a range of instruments, including cameras, spectrometers, and magnetometers, which have allowed scientists to study the outer Solar System in unprecedented detail. The spacecraft are also equipped with a Golden Record, a gold-plated copper record containing sounds and images of Earth, which serves as a message to any extraterrestrial life form that may encounter the spacecraft. ## History/Background The Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 missions were launched on September 5, 1977, and August 20, 1977, respectively. The spacecraft were launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, and their trajectories were carefully planned to take advantage of the rare alignment of the outer planets. The Voyager spacecraft flew by Jupiter and Saturn in the early 1980s, providing a wealth of new information about these planets and their moons. Voyager 2 also flew by Uranus and Neptune in 1986 and 1989, respectively. The Voyager spacecraft have been traveling through interstellar space for over 40 years, and have become the most distant human-made objects in space. Voyager 1 crossed the heliopause, the boundary between the heliosphere and interstellar space, in August 2012, and has been traveling through interstellar space ever since. Voyager 2 crossed the heliopause in November 2018. ## Key Information * **Launch Date:** Voyager 1: September 5, 1977; Voyager 2: August 20, 1977 * **Spacecraft Design:** Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 are identical twin spacecraft, each weighing about 825 kg (1,820 lbs) * **Instruments:** The Voyager spacecraft are equipped with a range of instruments, including cameras, spectrometers, and magnetometers * **Golden Record:** The Voyager spacecraft carry a Golden Record, a gold-plated copper record containing sounds and images of Earth * **Distance Traveled:** Voyager 1: over 14 billion miles (22.5 billion km); Voyager 2: over 12 billion miles (19.3 billion km) * **Speed:** Voyager 1: about 38,000 miles per hour (61,155 km/h); Voyager 2: about 35,000 miles per hour (56,325 km/h) ## Significance The Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 missions have provided a wealth of new information about the outer Solar System and beyond. The spacecraft have allowed scientists to study the heliosphere and interstellar space in unprecedented detail, and have provided insights into the nature of the universe. The Voyager spacecraft have also served as a message to any extraterrestrial life form that may encounter them, and have become a symbol of human ingenuity and exploration. INFOBOX: - **Name:** Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 - **Type:** Space probes - **Date:** Launched in 1977 - **Location:** Outer Solar System and interstellar space - **Known For:** Providing groundbreaking insights into the heliosphere and interstellar space TAGS: **Space Exploration**, **Voyager Missions**, **Outer Solar System**, **Interstellar Space**, **Heliosphere**, **Golden Record**, **NASA**, **Grand Tour Program**