Voyager 1 and 2 - UPDATE Narrated Documentary.

Summary

The Voyager spacecrafts, launched in 1977, embarked on an ambitious mission to explore the outer planets during a rare alignment. Voyager 2, the only probe to visit Uranus and Neptune, and Voyager 1, the farthest human-made object, continue to send data from beyond the solar system. Equipped with scientific instruments, they have studied planets, moons, rings, and magnetic fields, and now venture into interstellar space, with their signals expected to fade by 2025.

Takeaways

• 🚀 The Grand Tour was a proposed mission in the 1960s to take advantage of a rare planetary alignment for a comprehensive study of the outer planets.
• 🛰️ The Voyager spacecrafts, launched in 1977, were designed to explore Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, using gravitational assists to extend their trajectories.
• 🔭 Voyager 2 holds the record for visiting the most planets, having explored Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, while Voyager 1 is the farthest human-made object from Earth.
• 🌌 Both Voyagers have provided invaluable data on the outer planets, their moons, rings, and magnetic fields, contributing to our understanding of the solar system.
• 🛠 Voyagers were remotely reprogrammed to enhance their capabilities beyond their initial design, showcasing adaptability in space exploration.
• 🔋 The spacecrafts are powered by radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs), which will eventually deplete, ceasing all operations around 2025-2027.
• 📡 Communication with Voyagers is maintained through the Deep Space Network, which uses large antennas to send and receive signals that have significantly weakened by the time they reach Earth.
• 🛂 The Voyagers carry scientific instruments that have been crucial for their exploration, with some still active, studying cosmic rays, plasma waves, and magnetic fields.
• 🛑 Some instruments have been shut down to conserve power, and non-essential heaters have also been systematically turned off to extend the spacecrafts' operational life.
• 🌐 Voyager 1's exit from the solar system was determined by measuring the change in plasma density and the shift in particle sources from solar wind to galactic wind.
• 🌠 The Voyagers are destined to continue their journey through interstellar space, potentially outliving the solar system and carrying a message from humanity into the cosmos.

Q & A

What was the purpose of the Grand Tour proposed in the 1960s?

The Grand Tour was an ambitious plan to send unmanned probes to the outer planets of the solar system to study them, taking advantage of a rare alignment of the planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto in the late 1970s.

Why were the Voyager spacecrafts launched in 1977?

The Voyager spacecrafts were launched in 1977 to take advantage of the rare planetary alignment that would not occur again for 176 years, allowing them to visit the outer planets using a gravitational slingshot effect.

What was the primary mission of the Voyager spacecrafts?

The primary mission of the Voyager spacecrafts was the exploration of Jupiter and Saturn, with the mission later being extended to include the exploration of Uranus and Neptune by Voyager 2.

How did the Voyager spacecrafts use Jupiter for their mission?

The Voyager spacecrafts used Jupiter as a gravitational slingshot to extend their trajectory to the other planets further out in the solar system.

Which Voyager spacecraft holds the record for visiting the most planets?

Voyager 2 holds the record for visiting the most planets, being the only spacecraft to have visited Uranus and Neptune.

What was the Voyager 1's speed when it became the most distant human-made object in outer space?

Voyager 1 was traveling at a speed of 39,000 miles per hour when it passed Pioneer 10 to become the most distant human-made object in outer space.

What is the Voyager Interstellar Mission?

The Voyager Interstellar Mission is the designation given to the Voyager project in January 1990, after the completion of their primary mission, focusing on exploring beyond the solar system.

How many instruments are still working on Voyager 1 and Voyager 2?

There are four instruments still working on Voyager 1 and five instruments still working on Voyager 2.

What is the purpose of the low energy charged particle detector on the Voyager spacecrafts?

The low energy charged particle detector measures the number of low-energy particles hitting the spacecraft and determines their speed, studying cosmic radiation and particles from the Sun, planets, and interstellar space.

How do the Voyager spacecrafts communicate with Earth?

The Voyager spacecrafts communicate with Earth via a 3.7-meter diameter high gain antenna, sending and receiving radio waves through the Deep Space Network stations on Earth.

What is the expected timeline for the Voyager spacecrafts to cease operations?

The Voyager spacecrafts are expected to cease operations around 2025 due to the decay of the radioactive Plutonium 238 that powers them, but with careful power management, they may function through 2027.

How do scientists determine that Voyager 1 has entered interstellar space?

Scientists determined that Voyager 1 entered interstellar space by measuring the density of plasma surrounding the spacecraft using sound wave information from solar flares, and observing changes in the abundance of particles from the Sun and interstellar space.

What is the Voyager 1's expected encounter with a star in the future?

Voyager 1 is expected to encounter a star in 40,000 years when it flies about 1.7 light-years away from an obscure star in the constellation Camelopardalis called AC + 79 3888.

How long will it take for Voyager 1 to complete one orbit around the center of the Milky Way?

It will take Voyager 1 approximately 225 million years to complete one orbit around the center of the Milky Way.