Voyager (Spacecraft Series) - (Important Facts) {Part-30}

THE VOYAGER 1 AND 2 PROBES  were launched to coincide with the alignments of the System's gas giants.This allowed the craft to visit the four largest planets in our Solar System using the gravity assist technique. Gravity assist uses the mass of a planet to accelerate, decelerate and change a vehicle's direction without needing to carry much fuel on board.

Voyager

Voyager 1 is currently the farthest man-made object from the Earth. In the late 2013, it became the first man-made object to officially leave the Solar System. Voyager 2 is still inside the Solar System.

Moving at 61,400kmh / 38,200mph, Voyager 1 is travelling 10% faster than its twin. Even at such a high speed, Voyager 1 will take take more than 14,000 years to travel just one light year, and over 40,000 years to reach the nearest star.

Each vehicle carries a gold-plated disc that contains photos, sound and scientific informations identifying us and the probes's origins should it ever be discovered by sentient aliens.

Structure of Voyager

Both craft are powered by radio-isotope generators that make use of the heat emitted by decaying radioactive material to generate electricity to provide power for these craft until 2025.

Golden Record-NASA's Messages to the Great Unknown

 

Voyager Disc

Voyager 2 is depicted here passing Neptune, as it did in August 1989.