Uncrewed spacecraftActive
Voyager 2
Outer-planet and interstellar probe
Vehicle and mission dossier
Voyager 2
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.
Flight profile
- Launch
- August 20, 1977
Vehicle record
- Manufacturer
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- Launch vehicle
- Titan IIIE-Centaur
- Primary encounters
- Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
- Power
- Three radioisotope thermoelectric generators
- Communications
- 3.7-meter high-gain antenna and NASA Deep Space Network
- Interstellar-space entry
- November 2018
- Status
- Active extended mission
- Jupiter closest approach
- July 9, 1979
- Saturn closest approach
- August 25, 1981
- Uranus closest approach
- January 24, 1986
- Neptune closest approach
- August 25, 1989
- Destination
- Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and interstellar space
- Mission type
- Robotic planetary and interstellar mission
- Crew members
- 0
- Program
- Voyager
- Outcome
- Primary and planetary missions completed; extended mission active
- Archive classification
- Robotic or uncrewed spaceflight
- Primary objective
- Study all four giant planets, then characterize the outer heliosphere and interstellar environment
Flight objectives
- 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.
Flight timeline
- August 20, 1977Voyager 2 beginsVoyager 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.
- OperationsReturn and preserve the mission's observations, engineering results, and lessons for later exploration workRobotic spacecraft: Voyager 2; Destination: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and interstellar space
- Defining resultOnly spacecraft to visit all four giant planetsVoyager 2 launched in 1977 and used to fly past Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
- ActiveVoyager 2: ActiveNavigate Voyager 2 from launch through cruise, approach, , , or encounter at Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and interstellar space.