VOYAGER MISSIONS A “bottle thrown in the cosmic ocean” - Carl Sagan

Images and texts : http://www.jpl.nasa.gov http://lasp.colorado.edu http://en.wikipedia.org Sound : NASA Voyager recordings Author : Adrian Toia

NASA's twin Voyager probes were launched in the late 1970s to explore the outer planets in our solar system.

The contents of the record were selected for NASA by a committee chaired by Carl Sagan. He noted that "The spacecraft will be encountered and the record played only if there are advanced space-faring civilizations in interstellar space. But the launching of this 'bottle' into the cosmic 'ocean' says something very hopeful about life on this planet."

The Voyager Golden Records - 12-inch, gold-plated copper disks are phonograph records which were included a board both Voyager spacecraft, which were launched in 1977. They contain sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth, and are intended for any intelligent extraterrestrial life form, or for future humans, who may find them. The musical selection is also varied, featuring artists such as Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Stravinsky, Guan Pinghu, Blind Willie Johnson, Chuck Berry, Kesarbai Kerkar and Valya Balkanska.

The collection of images includes many photographs and diagrams both in black and white and color. The first images are of scientific interest, showing mathematical and physical quantities, the Solar System and its planets, DNA, and human anatomy and reproduction. Care was taken to include not only pictures of humanity, but also some of animals, insects, plants and landscapes. Images of humanity depict a broad range of cultures. These images show food, architecture, and humans in portraits

The Voyager missions were responsible for some amazing discoveries about the outer planets.

Voyager 1 1977 Sept. 5 Voyager 1 launched from Kennedy Space Flight Center 1977 Sept. 18 Voyager 1 returns first spacecraft photo of Earth and Moon 1979 Mar. 5 Voyager 1 makes its closest approach to Jupiter 1980 Nov. 12 Voyager 1 flies by Saturn Voyager 1 begins its trip out of the Solar System 1990 Jan. 1 Voyager 1 Begins Interstellar Mission 1990 Feb. 14 Voyager 1 Last Images - Portrait of the Solar System 1998 Feb. 17 Voyager 1 the most distant human-made object in space 2004 Dec. 15 Voyager 1 crosses Termination Shock 2012 Aug. 25 Voyager 1 enters Interstellar Space

1977 Sept. 5 Voyager 1 launched from Kennedy Space Flight Center

Voyager 1 spacecraft

captured the first ever photos of the Earth and moon together Voyager 1 captured the first ever photos of the Earth and moon together in a single frame on September 18, 1977.

First close-up view of Jupiter from Voyager 1

1979 Mar. 5 Voyager 1 makes its closest approach to Jupiter

the Great Red Spot remains a mystery. This dramatic view of the Great Red Spot and its surroundings was taken February 25, 1979, when Voyager 1 was 9.2 million km (5.7 million mi) from Jupiter. An atmospheric system larger than Earth and more than 300 years old, the Great Red Spot remains a mystery.

Voyager 1 color-enhanced image of Saturn taken on 18 October 1980, 25 days before closest approach.

Closest approach to Saturn - 64.200 km 1980 Nov. 12 - Voyager 1 flies by Saturn Closest approach to Saturn - 64.200 km and two its moons- Tethys and Dione

1990 Feb. 14 Voyager 1 – Last Portrait of the Solar System

Venus Earth Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune 1990 Feb. 14 - Voyager 1 Last Images of the Solar System.

Carl Sagan, a member of the Voyager imaging team at the time, had the idea of pointing the spacecraft back toward its home for a last look. The title of his 1994 book, "Pale Blue Dot," refers to the image of Earth.

1 pixel This is the "Pale Blue Dot" image of the Earth taken by the Voyager 1 spacecraft from a record distance of about 6 billion kilometers (3.7 billion miles)

Voyager 1 trip in the solar system

2012 Aug. 25 - Voyager 1 enters interstellar space

2310 Voyager 1 reaches the Oort Cloud

Voyager 2 Launch Date: 20 August 1977 Mission: Explore all of the outer planets and their satellites Arrived at Jupiter: July 9 1979 Arrived at Saturn: August 25 1981 Arrived at Uranus: January 24 1986 Arrived at Neptune: August 25 1989

Voyager 2 Launch Date: 20 August 1977

Voyager 2 trip Timeline

The closest approach to Jupiter occurred on July 9, 1979. It came within 570,000 km (350,000 mi) of the planet. A transit of Io across Jupiter

Callisto photographed at a distance of 1 million kilometers. Eruption of a volcano on Io, Callisto photographed at a distance of 1 million kilometers. Crescent Europa The three of Jovian Moons photographed during the Voyager 2 flyby of Jupiter.

Voyager 2 arrived at Saturn : August 25 1981

Voyager 2 arrived at Uranus : January 24 1986

Voyager 2 became the first spacecraft to observe the planet Neptune Arrived at Neptune: August 25 1989 The Great Dark Spot from Voyager 2 Feathery white clouds fill the boundary between the dark and light blue regions on the Great Dark Spot. The spiral shape of both the dark boundary and the white cirrus suggests a storm system rotating counterclockwise

Results of the Voyager missions The Voyager primary mission was completed in 1989, with the close flyby of Neptune by Voyager 2. Results of the Voyager missions • Discovery of 22 new satellites: 3 at Jupiter, 3 at Saturn, 10 at Uranus, 6 at Neptune • Discovery of Jupiter's rings, and additional information about the rings of Saturn, Uranus and Neptune • Discovery of Uranian and Neptunian magnetospheres • Discovery of active volcanism on Io, and active geyser-like structures on Triton • Discovery of auroral zones on Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune

Voyager 2 (and Voyager 1) to Interstellar space

Voyager missions to Interstellar space

Voyager missions to Interstellar space

As of September 2013, Voyager 1 The current position of Voyagers as of early 2013 As of September 2013, Voyager 1 was at a distance of 18.7 billion kilometers (125.3 AU) from the Sun.  Voyager 2 was at a distance of 15.3 billion kilometers (102.6 AU). The Voyager Interstellar Mission (VIM) is a mission extension, which began when the two spacecraft had already been in flight for over 12 years, continue to operate, and retain the capability of returning scientific data. perhaps until around 2025.

Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 - Distance as March 2015.

it will pass 4.3 light-years (25 trillion miles) By that time,. eventually, the Voyagers will pass other stars. In about 40,000 years, Voyager 1 will drift within 1.6 light-years (9.3 trillion miles) of AC+79 3888, a star which is heading toward the constellation Ophiuchus. In about 40,000 years, Voyager 2 will pass 1.7 light-years (9.7 trillion miles) from the star Ross 248 and in about 296,000 years, it will pass 4.3 light-years (25 trillion miles) from Sirius, the brightest star in the sky .

The Voyagers are destined - perhaps eternally - to wander the Milky Way.