The TLDR:
Voyager 1 is the first space probe to thoroughly examine and report data on Earth’s far away planetary neighbors, including Saturn and Jupiter. The space probe was launched on September 5, 1977, served as the most distant human-made object in space, and is still providing data from over 23 billion kilometers (about 14 billion miles) from Earth. Over its nearly 4 decades of service, the data from Voyager 1 has granted scientists with a magnitude of new scientific data about space.
Article Fun Fact: Voyager 2 was launched before Voyager 1.
The Start of the Voyager Mission – 1977
The voyager’s main mission began as an idea of NASA’s 1960’s “Grand Tour” proposal–a concept to send probes to nearby planets for scientific research. Due to budget constraints, the Grand Tour proposal was cancelled and replaced with the Voyager Mission.
On September 5, 1977, Voyager 1 was launched into space with a variety of scientific measuring equipment that ranged from cameras to instruments that measure magnetic fields and plasma ions. While all 11 instruments were functional at launch, only 4 are active to save power. (Some instruments become defective during Voyager’s journey.)
Looking Back on Earth (and the Moon)
13 days after launch, Voyager took its initial photograph: the first color photograph of the Earth and moon in a single frame. The image was captured 7.25 million miles away from Earth–a mere .05% of Voyager’s total journey to date.
Meeting with Jupiter – 1979
Voyager 1’s first major stop in the visit of the planets begins two years after its launch. Photographs of Jupiter were captured, alongside the unexpected findings of active volcanoes on one of Jupiter’s smaller moons.
Voyager 1 is also credited with discovering Jupiter’s rings. During a photographing session, these light and thin rings were captured in a single photograph. At the time, modern technology of satellites and Earth’s ground telescopes were unable to photograph/discover the rings due to their thin layers and color. (Modern telescopes, such as the James Webb Telescope, are able to capture these rings for additional observation.)
Meeting with Saturn – 1980
After a visit to Jupiter, Voyager 1 did a flyby around Saturn. Scientists at NASA placed significant interest in Saturn’s large moon, Titan, due to knowledge of Titan’s thick atmosphere. In exchange for not visiting Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, scientists elected for Voyager 1 to explore Titan.
During the exploration of Titan, NASA was able to obtain additional instrument readings of Saturn’s large moon, but the atmosphere’s composition made it impossible to photograph details of the surface of Titan. The attempt to obtain data from Titan was so vital to the mission of NASA that scientists were prepared to alter the course of Voyager 2 to visit the moon instead of finishing its original plan of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.
Saying Goodbye to Our Solar System – 1990
After its visit to Titan, Voyager 1 began its journey to leave our solar system for continued space exploration. 10 years after its photographs of Saturn returned to Earth and 13 years after it embarked on its journey from the United States, Voyager 1 took its last collection of photographs. On February 14, 1990, Voyager took the well known “Blue Dot” photo illustrating its impressive 6 billion kilometer journey away from Earth. As the name suggests, the photograph showcases a vast darkness with a shiny, tiny blue dot of its home planet.
Time Outside the Solar System
While many scientists call Voyager 1 a scientific success, the Voyager program remains active. Four of the original 11 instruments remain active to study space outside of our solar system.
Triaxial Fluxgate Magnetometer – investigates magnetic fields in Jupiter, Saturn, and interstellar space
Low Energy Charged Particle Instrument – measures charged particles
Cosmic Ray System – measures high energy particles
Plasma Wave Subsystem – the “listening” instrument of Voyager
Each of these tools continues to operate and provide data that can help scientists understand how particles interact in space, develop new insights into solar winds and cosmic rays, and determine the location of Voyager 1 as it continues to move throughout interstellar space.
The Golden Record
No space probe being sent billions of miles away from Earth is complete without a plan for the probe to meet extraterrestrial life forms. The Golden Record was added to Voyager 1 (and Voyager 2) to showcase Earth to any life forms which may intercept one of the Voyager space probes. The Golden Record contains auditory greetings from Earth, music, photographs, and even an hour worth of brainwaves to showcase the culture and life of humans and nature from our planet.
A Cool Thing You Can Do
Check out all of the items included in the Golden Record on NASA’s website.
