On Aug. 20, 1977, NASA launched the Voyager 2 spacecraft on a mission to explore the outer planets.
Despite its name, this was the first of two Voyager missions NASA launched that year. Thanks to a rare alignment of the planets, NASA had the opportunity to send a spacecraft on an unprecedented journey to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. While Voyager 1 ended its planetary mission after Saturn, Voyager 2 completed a 12-year journey to Neptune. But they didn't stop there! Voyager 1 left the solar system and entered interstellar space in 2012, and Voyager 2 is expected to do the same by the year 2020.
Despite its name, this was the first of two Voyager missions NASA launched that year. Thanks to a rare alignment of the planets, NASA had the opportunity to send a spacecraft on an unprecedented journey to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. While Voyager 1 ended its planetary mission after Saturn, Voyager 2 completed a 12-year journey to Neptune. But they didn't stop there! Voyager 1 left the solar system and entered interstellar space in 2012, and Voyager 2 is expected to do the same by the year 2020.
Category
🤖
TechTranscript
00:00On this day in space.
00:03In 1977, NASA launched the Voyager 2 spacecraft on a mission to explore the outer planets.
00:09Despite its name, this was the first of two Voyager missions NASA launched that year.
00:13Thanks to a rare alignment of the planets, NASA had the opportunity to send a spacecraft
00:17on an unprecedented journey to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
00:21While Voyager 1 ended its planetary mission after Saturn,
00:24Voyager 2 completed a 12-year journey to Neptune.
00:27But they didn't stop there.
00:28Voyager 1 left the solar system and entered interstellar space in 2012,
00:32and Voyager 2 is expected to do the same by the year 2020.
00:35And that's what happened on this day in space.
00:38♪♪♪