What is Voyager 2 Spacecraft?

Nov. 13, 2024

Nearly four decades after NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft made its historic flyby of Uranus, scientists have uncovered new revelations about the ice giant's peculiar magnetic field.

About Voyager 2 Spacecraft:

  • It is an unmanned space probe launched by NASA on August 20, 1977, just a few weeks before its sister craft, Voyager 1.
  • Primary mission:Its mission was to study the outer planets of our solar system, including Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune and their moons, and then continue on an interstellar mission.
  • It is the only spacecraft to have ever visited Uranus and Neptune.
  • It carries a Golden Record, a phonograph record containing sounds and images from Earth, intended to be a message to any potential extraterrestrial civilizations it might encounter in the future.
  • Firsts:
    • It is the only spacecraft to study all four of the solar system's giant planets at close range.
    • It discovered a 14th moon of Jupiter.
    • It was the first human-made object to fly past Uranus.
    • At Uranus, Voyager 2 discovered 10 new moons and two new rings.
    • It was the first human-made object to fly by Neptune.
    • At Neptune, Voyager 2 discovered five moons, four rings, and a "Great Dark Spot."
  • After completing its primary mission, Voyager 2 continued on its journey into interstellar space, where it is still sending back data on the interstellar medium and the heliosphere.
  • It is the second spacecraft to enter interstellar space.  On Dec. 10, 2018, the spacecraft joined its twin—Voyager 1—as the only human-made objects to enter the space between the stars.
  • It is currently the second most distant human-made object from Earth, after Voyager 1.