Voyager 2
Robotic missionActive
Only spacecraft to visit all four giant planets
Voyager 2 launched in 1977 and used to fly past Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. It remains the only spacecraft to have visited Uranus and Neptune and later crossed the heliopause, continuing an extended mission in interstellar space.
Mission photo archive
Reviewed photographs documenting Voyager 2. Every image links to its official NASA catalog record.
Voyager 2 Launch event hero
NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft launched atop its Titan/Centaur-7 launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on August 20, 1977, at 10:29 a.m. local time. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21745
Voyager 2 official archive image
Official NASA archive imagery explicitly cataloged for Voyager 2.
PIA01492
This picture of Neptune was produced from the last whole planet images taken through the green and orange filters on NASA's Voyager 2 narrow angle camera. The images were taken at a range of 4.4 million miles from the planet, 4 days and 20 hours before closest approach. The picture shows the Great Dark Spot and its companion bright smudge; on the west limb the fast moving bright feature called Scooter and the little dark spot are visible. These clouds were seen to persist for as long as Voyager's cameras could resolve them. North of these, a bright cloud band similar to the south polar streak may be seen. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA01492
Launch record
Explore this mission’s launch, including its vehicle, launch site, payload, and outcome.
Voyager 2
launch attemptDeep-space attemptcompletedNo reviewed launch image5 connectionsMission dossier
Flight profile, locations, hardware, and outcome in the same reference format used throughout the archive.
Flight profile
- Launch
- August 20, 1977[1]
Places and recovery
- Destination
- Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and interstellar space[1]
Mission record
- Jupiter closest approach
- July 9, 1979[1]
- Saturn closest approach
- August 25, 1981[1]
- Uranus closest approach
- January 24, 1986[1]
- Neptune closest approach
- August 25, 1989[1]
- Interstellar-space entry
- November 2018[1]
- Status
- Active extended mission[1]
- Launch vehicle
- Titan IIIE-Centaur[1]
- Mission type
- Robotic planetary and interstellar mission[1]
- Crew members
- 0[1]
- Program
- Voyager[1]
- Outcome
- Primary and planetary missions completed; extended mission active[1]
- Archive classification
- Robotic or uncrewed spaceflight[1]
- Primary objective
- Study all four giant planets, then characterize the outer heliosphere and interstellar environment[1]
Trajectory profile
2 sourcesFollow the mission from departure through its flight environment, destination, and final phase. This sequence is not a scale orbital plot.
Mission Purpose
2 sources- Operate Voyager 2 at Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and interstellar space while collecting the mission's planned science or engineering measurements.
- Return and preserve the mission's observations, engineering results, and lessons for later exploration work.
- Only mission to visit all four giant planets.
- Navigate Voyager 2 from launch through cruise, approach, , , or encounter at Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and interstellar space.
Planned Flight Plan
2 sources- August 20, 1977
Voyager 2 begins
Voyager 2 was assigned to Operate Voyager 2 at Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and interstellar space while collecting the mission's planned science or engineering measurements.
- Primary phase
Return and preserve the mission's observations, engineering results, and lessons for later exploration work
Robotic spacecraft: Voyager 2; Destination: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and interstellar space
- Mission objective
Only mission to visit all four giant planets
Voyager 2 operated within Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and interstellar space to pursue the program objective.
- Active
Voyager 2 outcome
Voyager 2 concluded with the recorded status Active: Only spacecraft to visit all four giant planets.
Mission Timeline
2 sources- August 20, 1977
Voyager 2 begins
Voyager 2 began Voyager 2 to Operate Voyager 2 at Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and interstellar space while collecting the mission's planned science or engineering measurements.
- Operations
Return and preserve the mission's observations, engineering results, and lessons for later exploration work
Robotic spacecraft: Voyager 2; Destination: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and interstellar space
- Defining result
Only spacecraft to visit all four giant planets
Voyager 2 launched in 1977 and used to fly past Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
- Active
Voyager 2: Active
Navigate Voyager 2 from launch through cruise, approach, , , or encounter at Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and interstellar space.