Voyager 1

Voyager 1 is a spacecraft used by NASA to explore Jupiter and Saturn. It is identical in form to its sister ship, Voyager 2.

Voyager 1

Model of the Voyager spacecraft design
Mission type	Outer planetary, heliosphere, and interstellar medium exploration
Operator	NASA / JPL
COSPAR ID	1977-084A
SATCAT no.	10321
Website	voyager.jpl.nasa.gov
Mission duration	41 years, 8 months and 17 days elapsed Planetary mission: 3 years, 3 months, 9 days Interstellar mission: 38 years, 5 months and 8 days elapsed (continuing)
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer	Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Launch mass	825.5 kg (1,820 lb)
Power	420 W
Start of mission
Launch date	September 5, 1977, 12:56:00 (1977-09-05UTC12:56Z) UTC
Rocket	Titan IIIE
Launch site	Cape Canaveral LC-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 1 was launched on September 5, 1977, to study the outer planets of the Solar System. It is now in an extended mission. Its encounter with Saturn and Titan sent it on a hyperbolic trajectory out of the solar system, traveling at 17 kilometers per second (around 61,200 kilometers per hour) which is much faster than escape velocity.

Voyager 1's research team announced on 25 August 2012 that it had left the solar system. It passed out of the heliosphere and into interstellar space.

Both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 include the Voyager Golden Record, which is a recording of sounds and images of life on earth.

Related pages

• Pioneer 10
• Pioneer 11
• Voyager 2