The Voyager I spacecraft was in the news once again in June as NASA was able to restore transmissions from all four of its temporarily disabled instruments. Launched way back in 1977, the unmanned craft is now the most distant man-made object in the universe: 15.5 billion miles from Earth, and constantly increasing that distance by 38,000 miles an hour. Looking into resources from NASA and authoritative media sources, we have an update for you on what Voyager has achieved, and what might still be to come.

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• Voyager I gave the world its first close-up views of the outer planets and made numerous new discoveries. 
• It has continued to transmit data about the furthest reaches of the Solar System and interstellar space. 
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Keeping up with space missions like Voyager I can help us in several ways:

• It can help us understand the value of NASA programs and politically support its continued funding. 
• We can inspire young people in our lives with an interest in STEM studies and careers.
• Investment strategies can be better informed when we have a wider base of knowledge in the field.

The Purpose of the Voyager Missions

Once every 175 years most of the planets of the Solar System are arranged on the same side of the sun. NASA began working in the 1960s on sending a space probe on a grand tour of the outer planets when they were in this convenient configuration to explore in a single mission. Nevertheless, in 1977 they launched two probes, Voyager I and II, to make sure there was a backup in case one of them failed.

Planets the Voyagers Explored

The main goal for both spacecraft was to explore Jupiter, Saturn, the planets’ largest moons, and Saturn’s rings. Both craft succeded in sending back a wealth of data from flybys of these planets between 1979-1981. NASA decided to extend Voyager II’s mission to study Uranus and Neptune. They could have sent Voyager I on to Pluto but opted instead to use it to examine Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, more closely, as it has a thick atmosphere and could potentially harbor life. It was not until 2015 when the New Horizons probe flew past Pluto that we finally got a close-up look at this dwarf planet. 

Voyager I’s Discoveries

These are some of the noteworthy discoveries Voyager I made:

• Jupiter has a thin ring that was previously undetected.
• Jupiter’s moon Io has at least 8 active volcanoes. 
• Several new moons were discovered around Jupiter and Saturn.
• Saturn has thousands more rings than previously realized. They are kept divided by “shepherding” moons. 
• Saturn’s rings have transient clouds that look like “spokes.”
• Titan’s conditions are such that liquid could exist on its surface and it has many of the chemical elements necessary for life. 

Leaving the Solar System

 

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