Small circular image of the Voyager space probe. (Source: NASA). — Voyager 2 - the first Space probe to flyby Uranus and Neptune.
Source: NASA.

Voyager 2

Time since launch:

Contents

Voyager 2 is a space probe that was launced in 1977, with a main goal of studying the outer planets of the Solar System, and deep outer Space. The space probe as now been operating for 44 years but most of the probe's systems aren't in operation due to power constraints.

The Grand Tour program was a program devised by NASA in which space probes visit every planet in the outer Solar System, and this was replaced by Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 launches.^[1]. The launch window to visit these planets only occurs once every 175 years!^[4] Below is a GIF of Voyager 2's trajectory and how it managed to reach the outer planets in the Solar System.

Animated GIF showing the trajectory of Voyager 2 on its way from Earth to the outer planets. (Source: Phoenix7777) — Animated GIF showing the trajectory of Voyager 2 on its way from Earth to the outer planets.
The planets in order from the center to outermost: Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Each planet is orbiting the Sun, and the pink line shows the Voyager 2 spacecraft
(Source: Phoenix7777)^[2]

Voyager Statistics

Below is a table with some statistics about both Voyager missions. You can hover over any cell in the table to get some additional information!^[3]

Statistics about the Voyager spacecraft
	Voyager 1	Voyager 2
Launch Time (UTC)	5^th September, 1977 at 12:56:00	20^th August, 1977 at 14:29:00
Jupiter encounter	5^th March, 1979	9^th July, 1979
Saturn encounter	9^th November, 1980	25^th August, 1981
Uranus encounter	N/A	24^th January, 1986
Neptune encounter	N/A	25^th August, 1989

Where is Voyager 2 now?

Voyager 2, currently, is in interstellar space, and the main objective of the mission has changed from investigating the outer Solar System to interstellar space. Some of its instruments have been disabled in order to conserve energy - they don't have solar panels because they are so far away from the Sun that they would never work! ^[4]

A grey moon with numerous craters and canyons visible, photographed by Voyager 2. (Source: NASA/JPL-Caltech) — One of Saturn's many moons, called Dione, photographed by Voyager 2. (Source: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

References

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and California Institute of Technology Planetary Voyage. [Online]. 2022. [Accessed 3 March 2022]. Available from: https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/science/planetary-voyage/
Phoenix7777. Animation of Voyager 2 Trajectory. [Animated GIF]. 2020. [Accessed 4 March 2022]. Available from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Animation_of_Voyager_2_trajectory.gif
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and California Institute of Technology Voyager Timeline. [Online]. 2022. [Accessed 3 March 2022]. Available from: https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/timeline/
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and California Institute of Technology Fact Sheet. [Online]. 2022. [Accessed 4 March 2022]. Available from: https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/frequently-asked-questions/fact-sheet/