Voyager 1

Voyager 1

Model of the Voyager spacecraft design
Mission type	Outer planetary, heliosphere, and interstellar medium exploration
Operator	NASA / Jet Propulsion Laboratory
COSPAR ID	1977-084A[1]
SATCAT no.	10321[2]
Website	voyager.jpl.nasa.gov
Mission duration	47 years, 2 months and 6 days elapsed Planetary mission: 3 years, 3 months, 9 days Interstellar mission: 43 years, 10 months and 28 days elapsed (continuing)
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer	Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Launch mass	825.5 kg (1,820 lb)
Power	470 watts (at launch)
Start of mission
Launch date	September 5, 1977, 12:56:00 (1977-09-05UTC12:56Z) UTC
Rocket	Titan IIIE
Launch site	Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 41
Flyby of Jupiter
Closest approach	March 5, 1979
Distance	349,000 km (217,000 mi)
Flyby of Saturn
Closest approach	November 12, 1980
Distance	124,000 km (77,000 mi)
Flyby of Titan (atmosphere study)
Closest approach	November 12, 1980
Distance	6,490 km (4,030 mi)
Flagship ← Voyager 2 Galileo →

Voyager 1 is a space probe launched by NASA on September 5, 1977, as part of a mission called the Voyager program to explore the outer Solar System and the space beyond our Sun's influence. It was launched shortly after its twin, Voyager 2. Voyager 1 communicates with Earth using the NASA Deep Space Network (DSN) to receive commands and send back data. As of July 2024, it is the farthest human-made object from Earth, located about 163.3 astronomical units away (24.4 billion kilometers or 15.2 billion miles).

During its journey, Voyager 1 flew past Jupiter, Saturn, and Saturn's largest moon, Titan. NASA decided to start studying Titan over Pluto because Titan has an unique atmosphere. Voyager 1 provided detailed information about the weather, magnetic fields, and moons of Jupiter and Saturn, capturing the first close-up images of these moons.

In its extended mission, Voyager 1 explores the outer edges of our Solar System and aims to enter interstellar space. It crossed the heliopause on August 25, 2012, becoming the first spacecraft to do so, marking its entry into interstellar space. Two years later, Voyager 1 confirmed its location by finding waves of energy from the Sun.

In 2017, the Voyager team successfully used the probe's thrusters for the first time since 1980 to change its direction in space. This adjustment allowed the mission to continue for an additional two to three years. Voyager 1 is still sending back scientific data and is expected to keep doing so until at least 2025. Its power source might even allow it to send engineering data until 2036.^{[3][4][5][6][7][8]}

1. ↑ "Voyager 1". NSSDC Master Catalog. NASA/NSSDC. Archived from the original on December 14, 2013. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
2. ↑ "Voyager 1". N2YO. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
3. ↑ "Voyager – Frequently Asked Questions". NASA. February 14, 1990. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
4. ↑ "Voyager – Mission Status". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Archived from the original on January 1, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
5. ↑ "Voyager 1". BBC Solar System. Archived from the original on February 3, 2018. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
6. ↑ "What If Voyager Had Explored Pluto?". Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
7. ↑ "Interstellar Mission". NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Archived from the original on September 14, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
8. ↑ Barnes, Brooks (September 12, 2013). "In a Breathtaking First, NASA Craft Exits the Solar System". New York Times. Archived from the original on March 11, 2020. Retrieved September 12, 2013.