Voyager 2

Voyager 2 is a space probe launched by NASA on August 20, 1977, to study the
Voyager 2
outer planets. Part of the Voyager program, it was launched 16 days before its twin,
Voyager 1, on a trajectory that took longer to reach Jupiter and Saturn but enabled
further encounters with Uranus and Neptune.[4] It is the only spacecraft to have
visited either of the ice giant planets.

Its primary mission ended with the exploration of the Neptunian system on
October 2, 1989, after having visited the Uranian system in 1986, the Saturnian
system in 1981, and the Jovian system in 1979. Voyager 2 is now in its extended
mission to study the outer reaches of the Solar System and has been operating for
41 years, 3 months and 24 days as of 14 December 2018. It remains in contact
through the NASA Deep Space Network.[5] Model of the Voyager spacecraft design

At a distance of 119 AU (1.78 × 1010 km) (about 16.5 light-hours)[6] from the Sun as Mission type Planetary exploration
of late 2018,[7] moving at a velocity of 15.341 km/s (55,230 km/h)[8] relative to the Operator NASA / JPL[1]
Sun, Voyager 2 is the fourth of five spacecraft to achieve the escape velocity that COSPAR ID 1977-076A[2]
will allow them to leave the Solar System. The probe left the heliosphere for
SATCAT no. 10271[3]
interstellar space on November 5, 2018,[9][10] and has begun to provide the first
Website voyager.jpl.nasa.gov
direct measurements of the density and temperature of the interstellar plasma.[11]
(https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/)
Mission 41 years, 3 months and
duration 24 days elapsed
Contents Planetary mission: 12 years,
History 1 month, 12 days
Background Interstellar mission: 29 years,
Spacecraft design
2 months and 12 days elapsed
Communications
(continuing)
Power
Attitude control and propulsion Spacecraft properties
Scientific instruments
Manufacturer Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Mission profile
Launch 825.5 kilograms (1,820 lb)
Launch and trajectory
mass
Encounter with Jupiter
Encounter with Saturn Power 470 watts (at launch)
Encounter with Uranus
Start of mission
Encounter with Neptune
Launch date August 20, 1977,
Interstellar mission
14:29:00 UTC
Future of the probe
Rocket Titan IIIE
Golden record
Launch site Cape Canaveral LC-41
See also
References Flyby of Jupiter
Notes
Closest July 9, 1979, 22:29:00 UTC
Citations
approach
Further reading
Distance 570,000 kilometers
External links
(350,000 mi)
Flyby of Saturn

History Closest August 25, 1981, 03:24:05

approach UTC
Distance 101,000 km (63,000 mi)
Background
Flyby of Uranus
In the early space age, it was realized that a periodic alignment of the outer planets
Closest January 24, 1986, 17:59:47
would occur in the late 1970s and enable a single probe to visit Jupiter, Saturn,
approach UTC
Uranus, and Neptune by taking advantage of the then-new technique of gravity Distance 81,500 km (50,600 mi)
assists. NASA began work on a Grand Tour, which evolved into a massive project
Flyby of Neptune
involving two groups of two probes each, with one group visiting Jupiter, Saturn,
Closest August 25, 1989, 03:56:36
and Pluto and the other Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune. The spacecraft would be
approach UTC
designed with redundant systems to ensure survival through the entire tour. By
1972 the mission was scaled back and replaced with two Mariner-derived Distance 4,951 km (3,076 mi)
spacecraft, the Mariner Jupiter-Saturn probes. To keep apparent lifetime program Flagship
costs low, the mission would include only flybys of Jupiter and Saturn, but keep
the Grand Tour option open.[4]:263 As the program progressed, the name was changed to Voyager.[12]

The primary mission of Voyager 1 was to explore Jupiter, Saturn, and Saturn's moon, Titan. Voyager 2 was also to explore Jupiter and
Saturn, but on a trajectory that would have the option of continuing on to Uranus and Neptune, or being redirected to Titan as a
backup for Voyager 1. Upon successful completion of Voyager 1's objectives, Voyager 2 would get a mission extension to send the
probe on towards Uranus and Neptune.[4]

Spacecraft design
Constructed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Voyager 2 included 16 hydrazine thrusters, three-axis stabilization, gyroscopes
and celestial referencing instruments (Sun sensor/Canopus Star Tracker) to maintain pointing of the high-gain antenna toward Earth.
Collectively these instruments are part of the Attitude and Articulation Control Subsystem (AACS) along with redundant units of most
instruments and 8 backup thrusters. The spacecraft also included 11 scientific instruments to study celestial objects as it traveled
through space.[13]

Communications
Built with the intent for eventual interstellar travel, Voyager 2 included a large, 3.7 m (12 ft) parabolic, high-gain antenna (see
diagram) to transceive data via the Deep Space Network on the Earth. Communications are conducted over the S-band (about 13 cm
wavelength) and X-band (about 3.6 cm wavelength) providing data rates as high as 115.2 kilobits per second at the distance of Jupiter,
and then ever-decreasing as the distance increased, because of the inverse-square law. When the spacecraft is unable to communicate
with Earth, the Digital Tape Recorder (DTR) can record about 64 kilobytes of data for transmission at another time.[14]

Power
Voyager 2 was equipped with 3 Multihundred-Watt radioisotope thermoelectric generators (MHW RTG). Each RTG includes 24
pressed plutonium oxide spheres, and provided enough heat to generate approximately 157 W of electrical power at launch.
Collectively, the RTGs supplied the spacecraft with 470 watts at launch (halving every 87.7 years), and will allow operations to continue
until at least 2020.[13][15][16]

RTG Inner Heat Source RTG Assembly RTG unit

Attitude control and propulsion

Because of the energy required to achieve a Jupiter trajectory boost with an 1,819-pound (825 kg) payload, the spacecraft included a
propulsion module made of a 2,476-pound (1,125 kg) solid-rocket motor and eight hydrazine monopropellant rocket engines, four
providing pitch and yaw attitude control, and four for roll control. The propulsion module was jettisoned shortly after the successful
Jupiter burn.

Sixteen hydrazine MR-103 thrusters on the mission module provide attitude control.[17] Four are used to execute trajectory correction
maneuvers; the others in two redundant six-thruster branches, to stabilize the spacecraft on its three axes. Only one branch of attitude
control thrusters is needed at any time.[18]

Thrusters are supplied by a single 28-inch (70 cm) diameter spherical titanium tank. It contained 230 pounds (100 kg) of hydrazine at
launch, providing enough fuel until 2034.[19]

Scientific instruments
Instrument Name Abr. Description

Utilizes a two-camera system (narrow-angle/wide-angle) to provide imagery of Jupiter, Saturn

and other objects along the trajectory. More (https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov
/nmc/experimentDisplay.do?id=1977-076A-01)

Filters

Narrow Angle Camera Filters[20] Wide Angle Camera Filters[21]

Name Wavelength Spectrum Sensitivity Name Wavelength Spectrum Sensitivity
280 nm – 280 nm –
Clear Clear
640 nm 640 nm
280 nm – ' ' '
UV
370 nm
350 nm –
350 nm – Violet
Violet 450 nm
450 nm
430 nm –
430 nm – Blue
Imaging Science Blue 530 nm
System (ISS) 530 nm
536 nm –
(disabled) CH4-U
' ' ' 546 nm
530 nm – 530 nm –
Green Green
640 nm 640 nm
588 nm –
' ' ' Na-D
590 nm
590 nm – 590 nm –
Orange Orange
640 nm 640 nm
' ' ' CH4- 614 nm –
JST 624 nm

Principal investigator: Bradford Smith / University of Arizona (PDS/PRN website (https://pds-rings.seti.org

/voyager/iss/index.html))
Data: PDS/PDI data catalog (https://web.archive.org/web/20030507144627/http://pds-imaging.jpl.nasa.gov
/Admin/resources/cd_voyager.html) , PDS/PRN data catalog (https://pds-rings.seti.org/voyager
/iss/raw_images.html)

Utilized the telecommunications system of the Voyager spacecraft to determine the physical
properties of planets and satellites (ionospheres, atmospheres, masses, gravity fields,
densities) and the amount and size distribution of material in Saturn's rings and the ring
dimensions. More (https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/experimentDisplay.do?id=1977-076A-02)
Radio Science
System (RSS) Principal investigator: G. Tyler / Stanford University PDS/PRN overview (https://pds-rings.seti.org/voyager
(disabled) /iss/instrument.html)
Data: PDS/PPI data catalog (https://pds-ppi.igpp.ucla.edu/mission/Voyager), PDS/PRN data catalog
(https://pds-rings.seti.org/voyager/rss/index.html) (VG_2803 (https://pds-rings.seti.org
/vol/VG_2803_peer_review/)), NSSDC Saturn data archive (ftp://nssdcftp.gsfc.nasa.gov/spacecraft_data
/voyager/voyager2/radio_science_rss/)

Investigates both global and local energy balance and atmospheric composition. Vertical
temperature profiles are also obtained from the planets and satellites as well as the
composition, thermal properties, and size of particles in Saturn's rings. More
(https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/experimentDisplay.do?id=1977-076A-03)
Infrared
Interferometer Principal investigator: Rudolf Hanel / NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (PDS/PRN website (https://pds-
(IRIS)
Spectrometer rings.seti.org/voyager/iris/instrument.html))
(disabled)
Data: PDS/PRN data catalog (https://pds-rings.seti.org/voyager/iris/original_volume.html), PDS/PRN
expanded data catalog (https://pds-rings.seti.org/voyager/iris/expanded_volumes.html) (VGIRIS_0001
(https://pds-rings.seti.org/vol/VGIRIS_0001_peer_review/), VGIRIS_002 (https://pds-rings.seti.org
/vol/VGIRIS_0002_peer_review/))

Designed to measure atmospheric properties, and to measure radiation. More

(https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/experimentDisplay.do?id=1977-076A-04)
Ultraviolet
Spectrometer (UVS) Principal investigator: A. Broadfoot / University of Southern California (PDS/PRN website (https://pds-
(disabled) rings.seti.org/voyager/uvs/instrument.html))
Data: PDS/PRN data catalog (https://pds-rings.seti.org/voyager/uvs/data.html)

Designed to investigate the magnetic fields of Jupiter and Saturn, the solar-wind interaction with
the magnetospheres of these planets, and the interplanetary magnetic field out to the solar wind
boundary with the interstellar magnetic field and beyond, if crossed. More
(https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/experimentDisplay.do?id=1977-076A-05)
Triaxial Fluxgate
Magnetometer (MAG) Principal investigator: Norman Ness / NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (website
(active) (https://vgrmag.gsfc.nasa.gov/))
Data: PDS/PPI data catalog (https://ppi.pds.nasa.gov/search/?filter=VG_100,VG_1502,VG_1601&
title=Voyager_2_Magnetometer_Investigation), NSSDC data archive (ftp://nssdcftp.gsfc.nasa.gov
/spacecraft_data/voyager/voyager2/magnetic_fields/)
 Investigates the macroscopic properties of the plasma ions and measures electrons in the
energy range from 5 eV to 1 keV. More (https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov
/nmc/experimentDisplay.do?id=1977-076A-06)
Plasma
Spectrometer (PLS) Principal investigator: John Richardson / MIT (website (http://web.mit.edu/space/www/voyager
(active) /voyager.html))
Data: PDS/PPI data catalog (https://ppi.pds.nasa.gov/search/?filter=VG_100,VG_1502,VG_1601,VG_PLS&
title=Voyager_2_Plasma_Science_Investigation), NSSDC data archive (ftp://nssdcftp.gsfc.nasa.gov
/spacecraft_data/voyager/voyager2/plasma/)

Measures the differential in energy fluxes and angular distributions of ions, electrons and the
differential in energy ion composition. More (https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov
/nmc/experimentDisplay.do?id=1977-076A-07)

Low Energy Charged Principal investigator: Stamatios Krimigis / JHU/APL / University of Maryland (JHU/APL website (http://sd-
Particle Instrument (LECP) www.jhuapl.edu/VOYAGER/) / UMD website (https://space.umd.edu/Voyager/) / KU website
(active) (http://voyager.ftecs.com/default.htm))
Data: UMD data plotting (https://voyager-mac.umd.edu/), PDS/PPI data catalog (https://ppi.pds.nasa.gov
/search/?filter=VG_100,VG_1502,VG_1601,VGLE_&title=Voyager_2_Low-
Energy_Charged_Particle_Investigation), NSSDC data archive (ftp://nssdcftp.gsfc.nasa.gov/spacecraft_data
/voyager/voyager2/particle/lecp/)

Determines the origin and acceleration process, life history, and dynamic contribution of
interstellar cosmic rays, the nucleosynthesis of elements in cosmic-ray sources, the behavior of
cosmic rays in the interplanetary medium, and the trapped planetary energetic-particle
Cosmic Ray System environment. More (https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/experimentDisplay.do?id=1977-076A-08)
(CRS)
(active)
Principal investigator: Edward Stone / Caltech / NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (website
(https://voyager.gsfc.nasa.gov/))
Data: NSSDC data archive (ftp://nssdcftp.gsfc.nasa.gov/spacecraft_data/voyager/voyager2/particle/crs/)

Utilizes a sweep-frequency radio receiver to study the radio-emission signals from Jupiter and
Saturn. More (https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/experimentDisplay.do?id=1977-076A-10)
Planetary Radio
Astronomy Principal investigator: James Warwick / University of Colorado
(PRA)
Investigation
Data: PDS/PPI data catalog (https://ppi.pds.nasa.gov/search
(disabled)
/?filter=VG_100,VG_1502,VG_1601,VGPR_1201&
title=Voyager_2_Planetary_Radio_Astronomy_Investigation)

Utilized a telescope with a polarizer to gather information on surface texture and composition of
Jupiter and Saturn and information on atmospheric scattering properties and density for both
Photopolarimeter planets. More (https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/experimentDisplay.do?id=1977-076A-11)
System (PPS)
(disabled) Principal investigator: Arthur Lane / JPL (PDS/PRN website (https://pds-rings.seti.org/voyager
/pps/instrument.html))
Data: PDS/PRN data catalog (https://pds-rings.seti.org/voyager/pps/data.html)

Provides continuous, sheath-independent measurements of the electron-density profiles at

Jupiter and Saturn as well as basic information on local wave-particle interaction, useful in
studying the magnetospheres. More (https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov
Plasma Wave /nmc/experimentDisplay.do?id=1977-076A-13)
System (PWS)
(partially disabled) Principal investigator: Donald Gurnett / University of Iowa (website (http://www-pw.physics.uiowa.edu
/plasma-wave/voyager/))
Data: PDS/PPI data catalog (https://ppi.pds.nasa.gov/search/search.jsp?k=voyager+pws)

For more details on the Voyager space probes' identical instrument packages, see the separate article on the overall Voyager
Program.

Images of the spacecraft

Voyager spacecraft diagram. Voyager in transport to a solar thermal Voyager 2 awaiting payload entry into a
test chamber. Titan IIIE/Centaur rocket.
 Media related to the Voyager spacecraft at Wikimedia Commons

Mission profile
Images of trajectory

Voyager 2's trajectory from the earth, following the ecliptic through 1989 at Neptune and now heading south into the constellation Pavo

Path viewed from above the solar system Path viewed from side, showing distance below ecliptic in gray
 Timeline of travel

Date Event

1977-08-20 Spacecraft launched at 14:29:00 UTC.

1977-12-10 Entered asteroid belt.

1977-12-19 Voyager 1 overtakes Voyager 2. (see diagram)

1978-06 Primary radio receiver fails. Remainder of mission flown using backup.

1978-10-21 Exited asteroid belt

Start Jupiter observation phase

Time Event

1979-07-08 Encounter with Jovian system.

12:21 Callisto flyby at 214,930 km.

1979-07-09

07:14 Ganymede flyby at 62,130 km.

1979-04-25
17:53 Europa flyby at 205,720 km.

20:01 Amalthea flyby at 558,370 km.

Jupiter closest approach at 721,670 km from the

22:29
center of mass.

23:17 Io flyby at 1,129,900 km.

1979-08-05 Phase Stop

Start Saturn observation phase.

Time Event

1981-08-22 Encounter with Saturnian system.

01:26:57 Iapetus flyby at 908,680 km.

1981-08-25

01:25:26 Hyperion flyby at 431,370 km.

09:37:46 Titan flyby at 666,190 km.

22:57:33 Helene flyby at 314,090 km.

1981-08-26

01:04:32 Dione flyby at 502,310 km.

02:22:17 Calypso flyby at 151,590 km.

02:24:26 Mimas flyby at 309,930 km.

1981-06-05 03:19:18 Pandora flyby at 107,000 km.

Saturn closest approach at 161,000 km from the

03:24:05
center of mass.

03:33:02 Atlas 287,000 km.

03:45:16 Enceladus flyby at 87,010 km.

03:50:04 Janus at 223,000 km.

04:05:56 Epimetheus at 147,000 km.

06:02:47 Telesto at 270,000 km.

06:12:30 Tethys flyby at 93,010 km.

06:28:48 Rhea flyby at 645,260 km.

1981-09-04

01:22:34 Phoebe flyby at 2,075,640 km.

1981-09-25 Phase Stop

 Start Uranus observation phase.

Time Event

1986-01-24 Encounter with Uranian system.

16:50 Miranda flyby at 29,000 km.

17:25 Ariel flyby at 127,000 km.

1985-11-04 17:25 Umbriel flyby at 325,000 km.

17:25 Titania flyby at 365,200 km.

17:25 Oberon flyby at 470,600 km.

Uranus closest approach at 107,000 km from the

17:59:47
center of mass.

1986-02-25 Phase Stop

1987-08-20 10 years of continuous flight and operation at 14:29:00 UTC.

Start Neptune observation phase.

Time Event

1989-08-25 Encounter with Neptunian system.

03:56:36 Neptune closest approach at 4,950 km.

1989-06-05
04:51 Larissa flyby at 60,180 km.

05:29 Proteus flyby at 97,860 km.

09:23 Triton flyby at 39,800 km.

1989-10-02 Phase Stop

1989-10-02 Begin Voyager Interstellar Mission.

Interstellar phase[22][23][24]

1997-08-20 20 years of continuous flight and operation at 14:29:00 UTC.

1998-11-13 Terminate scan platform and UV observations.

2007-08-20 30 years of continuous flight and operation at 14:29:00 UTC.

2007-09-06 Terminate data tape recorder operations.

2008-02-22 Terminate planetary radio astronomy experiment operations.

2011-11-07 Switch to backup thrusters to conserve power[25]

2017-08-20 40 years of continuous flight and operation at 14:29:00 UTC.

2018-11-05 Crossed the heliopause and entered interstellar space.

Launch and trajectory

The Voyager 2 probe was launched on August 20, 1977, by NASA from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard a
Titan IIIE/Centaur launch vehicle. Two weeks later, the twin Voyager 1 probe was launched on September 5, 1977. However, Voyager 1
reached both Jupiter and Saturn sooner, as Voyager 2 had been launched into a longer, more circular trajectory.
 Voyager 2 launch on August 20, 1977 Animation of Voyager 2 's trajectory Trajectory of Voyager 2 primary
with a Titan IIIE/Centaur. from August 20, 1977 to December mission.
30, 2000
Voyager 2 · Earth · Jupiter ·
Saturn · Uranus · Neptune ·
Sun

Plot of Voyager 2's heliocentric

velocity against its distance from the
Sun, illustrating the use of gravity
assists to accelerate the spacecraft by
Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus. To
observe Triton, Voyager 2 passed
over Neptune's north pole, resulting in
an acceleration out of the plane of the
ecliptic, and, as a result, a reduced
velocity relative to the Sun.[26]

In April 1978, a complication arose when no commands were transmitted to Voyager 2 for a period of time, causing the spacecraft to
switch from its primary radio receiver to its backup receiver.[27] Sometime afterwards, the primary receiver failed altogether. The
backup receiver was functional, but a failed capacitor in the receiver meant that it could only receive transmissions that were sent at a
precise frequency, and this frequency would be affected by the Earth's rotation (due to the Doppler effect) and the onboard receiver's
temperature, among other things.[27][28][29] For each subsequent transmission to Voyager 2, it was necessary for engineers to calculate
the specific frequency for the signal so that it could be received by the spacecraft.

Encounter with Jupiter

Voyager 2 's closest approach to Jupiter occurred at 22:29 UT on July 9, 1979.[30] It came within 570,000 km (350,000 mi) of the
planet's cloud tops.[31] Jupiter's Great Red Spot was revealed as a complex storm moving in a counterclockwise direction. Other smaller
storms and eddies were found throughout the banded clouds.

Voyager 2 returned images of Jupiter, as well as its moons Amalthea, Io, Callisto, Ganymede, and Europa.[30] During a 10-hour
"volcano watch", it confirmed Voyager 1's observations of active volcanism on the moon Io, and revealed how the moon's surface had
changed in the four months since the previous visit.[30] Together, the Voyagers observed the eruption of nine volcanoes on Io, and
there is evidence that other eruptions occurred between the two Voyager fly-bys.
Jupiter's moon Europa displayed a large number of intersecting linear features in the low-
resolution photos from Voyager 1. At first, scientists believed the features might be deep
cracks, caused by crustal rifting or tectonic processes. Closer high-resolution photos from
Voyager 2, however, were puzzling: the features lacked topographic and one scientist said
they "might have been painted on with a felt marker".[32] Europa is internally active due to
tidal heating at a level about one-tenth that of Io. Europa is thought to have a thin crust
(less than 30 km (19 mi) thick) of water ice, possibly floating on a 50-kilometer-deep (30
mile) ocean.

Two new, small satellites, Adrastea and Metis, were found orbiting just outside the ring.[32]
The trajectory of Voyager 2 through
A third new satellite, Thebe, was discovered between the orbits of Amalthea and Io.[32] the Jupiter system

The Great Red Spot photographed A transit of Io across Jupiter, July 9,

during the Voyager 2 flyby of Jupiter. 1979.

Eruption of a volcano on Io, A color mosaic of Europa.

photographed by Voyager 2.

A color mosaic of Ganymede. Callisto photographed at a distance of One faint ring of Jupiter photographed
1 million kilometers. during the flyby.
 Atmospheric eruptive event on Jupiter.

Media related to the Voyager 2 Jupiter encounter at Wikimedia Commons

Encounter with Saturn

The closest approach to Saturn occurred on August 26, 1981.[33]

While passing behind Saturn (as viewed from Earth), Voyager 2 probed Saturn's upper atmosphere with its radio link to gather
information on atmospheric temperature and density profiles. Voyager 2 found that at the uppermost pressure levels (seven
kilopascals of pressure), Saturn's temperature was 70 kelvins (−203 °C), while at the deepest levels measured (120 kilopascals) the
temperature increased to 143 K (−130 °C). The north pole was found to be 10 kelvins cooler, although this may be seasonal (see also
Saturn Oppositions).

After the fly-by of Saturn, the camera platform of Voyager 2 locked up briefly, putting plans to officially extend the mission to Uranus
and Neptune in jeopardy. The mission's engineers were able to fix the problem (caused by an overuse that temporarily depleted its
lubricant), and the Voyager 2 probe was given the go-ahead to explore the Uranian system.

Voyager 2 Saturn approach view. North, polar region of Saturn imaged in Color image of Enceladus showing
orange and UV filters. terrain of widely varying ages.

Cratered surface of Tethys at

594,000 km.
 Atmosphere of Titan imaged from Titan occultation of the Sun from Two-toned Iapetus, August 22, 1981.
2.3 million km. 0.9 million km.

"Spoke" features observed in the rings

of Saturn.

Media related to the Voyager 2 Saturn encounter at Wikimedia Commons

Encounter with Uranus

The closest approach to Uranus occurred on January 24, 1986, when Voyager 2 came within 81,500 kilometers (50,600 mi) of the
planet's cloudtops.[34] Voyager 2 also discovered 11 previously unknown moons: Cordelia, Ophelia, Bianca, Cressida, Desdemona,
Juliet, Portia, Rosalind, Belinda, Puck and Perdita.[A] The mission also studied the planet's unique atmosphere, caused by its axial tilt of
97.8°; and examined the Uranian ring system.[34] The length of a day on Uranus as measured by Voyager 2 is 17 hours, 14 minutes.[34]
Uranus was shown to have a magnetic field that was misaligned with its rotational axis, unlike other planets that had been visited to
that point,[35][38] and a helix-shaped magnetic tail stretching 10 million kilometers (6 million miles) away from the Sun.[35]

When Voyager 2 visited Uranus, much of its cloud features were hidden by a layer of haze; however, false-color and contrast-enhanced
images show bands of concentric clouds around its south pole.[35] This area was also found to radiate large amounts of ultraviolet light,
a phenomenon that is called "dayglow". The average atmospheric temperature is about 60 K (−350°F/−213°C). Surprisingly, the
illuminated and dark poles, and most of the planet, exhibit nearly the same temperatures at the cloud tops.

Detailed images from Voyager 2 's flyby of the Uranian moon Miranda showed huge canyons made from geological faults.[35] One
hypothesis suggests that Miranda might consist of a reaggregation of material following an earlier event when Miranda was shattered
into pieces by a violent impact.[35]

Voyager 2 discovered two previously-unknown Uranian rings.[35][36] Measurements showed that the Uranian rings are distinctly
different from those at Jupiter and Saturn. The Uranian ring system might be relatively young, and it did not form at the same time
that Uranus did. The particles that make up the rings might be the remnants of a moon that was broken up by either a high-velocity
impact or torn up by tidal effects.
 Uranus as viewed by Voyager 2 Departing image of crescent Uranus. Fractured surface of Miranda.

Ariel as imaged from 130,000 km.

Color composite of Titania from Umbriel (moon) imaged from Oberon (computer generated image).
500,000 km. 550,000 km.

The Rings of Uranus imaged by

Voyager 2.

Media related to the Voyager 2 Uranus encounter at Wikimedia Commons

Encounter with Neptune

Following a mid-course correction in 1987, Voyager 2 's closest approach to Neptune occurred on August 25, 1989.[39][40][41] Through
repeated computerized test simulations of trajectories through the Neptunian system conducted in advance, flight controllers
determined the best way to route Voyager 2 through the Neptune-Triton system. Since the plane of the orbit of Triton is tilted
significantly with respect to the plane of the ecliptic, through mid-course corrections, Voyager 2 was directed into a path about 4950
kilometers (3000 mi) above the north pole of Neptune.[42][43] Five hours after Voyager 2 made its closest approach to Neptune, it
performed a close fly-by of Triton, the larger of Neptune's two originally known moons, passing within about 40,000 kilometers
(25,000 mi).[42]

Voyager 2 discovered previously unknown Neptunian rings,[44] and confirmed six new moons: Despina, Galatea, Larissa, Proteus,
Naiad and Thalassa.[45][B] While in the neighborhood of Neptune, Voyager 2 discovered the "Great Dark Spot", which has since
disappeared, according to observations by the Hubble Space Telescope.[46] The Great Dark Spot was later hypothesized to be a region of
clear gas, forming a window in the planet's high-altitude methane cloud deck.[47]

With the decision of the International Astronomical Union to reclassify Pluto as a "dwarf planet" in 2006,[48] the flyby of Neptune by
Voyager 2 in 1989 became the point when every known planet in the Solar System had been visited at least once by a space probe.

Voyager 2 image of Neptune. Neptune and Triton three days after Despina as imaged from Voyager 2.
Voyager 2 flyby.

Cratered surface of Larissa.

Dark surface of Proteus. Color mosaic of Voyager 2 Triton. Cirrus clouds imaged above gaseous
Neptune.
 Rings of Neptune taken in occultation
from 280,000 km.

Media related to the Voyager 2 Neptune encounter at Wikimedia Commons

Interstellar mission
Once its planetary mission was over, Voyager 2 was described as working on
an interstellar mission, which NASA is using to find out what the Solar System
is like beyond the heliosphere. Voyager 2 is currently transmitting scientific
data at about 160 bits per second. Information about continuing telemetry
exchanges with Voyager 2 is available from Voyager Weekly Reports.[49]

In 1992, Voyager 2 observed the nova V1974 Cygni in the far-ultraviolet.[50]

In July 1994, an attempt was made to observe the impacts from fragments of
the comet Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 with Jupiter.[50] The craft's position
Voyager 2 left the Heliosphere on 5 November
meant it had a direct line of sight to the impacts and observations were made 2018.[10]
in the ultraviolet and radio spectrum.[50] Voyager 2 failed to detect anything
with calculations showing that the fireballs were just below the craft's limit of
detection.[50]

On November 29, 2006, a telemetered command to Voyager 2 was incorrectly

decoded by its on-board computer—in a random error—as a command to turn
on the electrical heaters of the spacecraft's magnetometer. These heaters
remained turned on until December 4, 2006, and during that time, there was
a resulting high temperature above 130 °C (266 °F), significantly higher than Map showing location and trajectories of the
the magnetometers were designed to endure, and a sensor rotated away from Pioneer 10, Pioneer 11, Voyager 1, and Voyager
the correct orientation. As of this date it had not been possible to fully 2 spacecraft, as of April 4, 2007.
diagnose and correct for the damage caused to Voyager 2's magnetometer,
although efforts to do so were proceeding.[51]

On August 30, 2007, Voyager 2 passed the termination shock and then entered into the heliosheath, approximately 1 billion miles (1.6
billion km) closer to the Sun than Voyager 1 did.[52] This is due to the interstellar magnetic field of deep space. The southern
hemisphere of the Solar System's heliosphere is being pushed in.[53]

On April 22, 2010, Voyager 2 encountered scientific data format problems.[54] On May 17, 2010, JPL engineers revealed that a flipped
bit in an on-board computer had caused the issue, and scheduled a bit reset for May 19.[55] On May 23, 2010, Voyager 2 resumed
sending science data from deep space after engineers fixed the flipped bit.[56] Currently research is being made into marking the area of
memory with the flipped bit off limits or disallowing its use. The Low-Energy Charged Particle Instrument is currently operational, and
data from this instrument concerning charged particles is being transmitted to Earth. This data permits measurements of the
heliosheath and termination shock. There has also been a modification to the on-board flight software to delay turning off the AP
Branch 2 backup heater for one year. It was scheduled to go off February 2, 2011 (DOY 033, 2011–033).

On July 25, 2012, Voyager 2 was traveling at 15.447 km/s relative to the Sun at about 99.13 astronomical units (1.4830 × 1010 km) from
the Sun,[7] at −55.29° declination and 19.888 h right ascension, and also at an ecliptic latitude of −34.0 degrees, placing it in the
constellation Telescopium as observed from Earth.[57] This location places it deep in the scattered disc, and traveling outward at
roughly 3.264 AU per year. It is more than twice as far from the Sun as Pluto, and far beyond the perihelion of 90377 Sedna, but not yet
beyond the outer limits of the orbit of the dwarf planet Eris.
On September 9, 2012, Voyager 2 was 99.077 AU (1.48217 × 1010 km; 9.2098 × 109 mi) from the Earth and 99.504 AU
(1.48856 × 1010 km; 9.2495 × 109 mi) from the Sun; and traveling at 15.436 km/s (34,530 mph) (relative to the Sun) and traveling
outward at about 3.256 AU per year.[58] Sunlight takes 13.73 hours to get to Voyager 2. The brightness of the Sun from the spacecraft is
magnitude -16.7.[58] Voyager 2 is heading in the direction of the constellation Telescopium.[58] (To compare, Proxima Centauri, the
closest star to the Sun, is about 4.2 light-years (or 2.65 × 105 AU) distant. Voyager 2's current relative velocity to the Sun is
15.436 km/s (55,570 km/h; 34,530 mph). This calculates as 3.254 AU per year, about 10% slower than Voyager 1. At this velocity,
81,438 years would pass before Voyager 2 reaches the nearest star, Proxima Centauri, were the spacecraft traveling in the direction of
that star. (Voyager 2 will need about 19,390 years at its current velocity to travel a complete light year)

On November 7, 2012, Voyager 2 reached 100 AU from the sun, making it the third human-made object to reach 100 AU. Voyager 1
was 122 AU from the Sun, and Pioneer 10 is presumed to be at 107 AU. While Pioneer has ceased communications, both the Voyager
spacecraft are performing well and are still communicating.

In 2013, Voyager 1 was escaping the solar system at a speed of about 3.6 AU per year, while Voyager 2 was only escaping at 3.3 AU per
year.[59] (Each year Voyager 1 increases its lead over Voyager 2)

By November 2, 2018, Voyager 2 was at a distance of 119 AU (1.78 × 1010 km) from the Sun.[7] There is a variation in distance from
Earth caused by the Earth's revolution around the Sun relative to Voyager 2.[7]

It was originally thought that Voyager 2 would enter interstellar space in early 2016, with its plasma spectrometer providing the first
direct measurements of the density and temperature of the interstellar plasma.[60] In December 2018, the Voyager project scientist,
Edward C. Stone, announced that Voyager 2 reached interstellar space on November 5, 2018.[9][10]

The current position of Voyager 2 as of December 2018. Note the vast distances condensed into an
exponential scale: Earth is 1 astronomical unit (AU) from the Sun; Saturn is at 9 AU, and the
heliopause is at more than 100 AU. Neptune is 30.1 AU from the Sun; thus the edge of interstellar
space is more than three times as far from the Sun as the last planet.[10]

Future of the probe

Voyager 2 is not headed toward any particular star, although in roughly 40,000 years it should pass 1.7 light-years from the star Ross
248.[61] And if undisturbed for 296,000 years, Voyager 2 should pass by the star Sirius at a distance of 4.3 light-years. Voyager 2 is
expected to keep transmitting weak radio messages until at least 2025, more than 48 years after it was launched.[62]

Year End of specific capabilities as a result of the available electrical power limitations[63]

1998 Termination of scan platform and UVS observations

Termination of Digital Tape Recorder (DTR) operations (It was no longer needed due to a failure on the High
2007
Waveform Receiver on the Plasma Wave Subsystem (PWS) on June 30, 2002.)[64]

2008 Power off Planetary Radio Astronomy Experiment (PRA)

2016 approx Termination of gyroscopic operations

2020 approx Initiate instrument power sharing

2025 or slightly
Can no longer power any single instrument
afterwards
Golden record
Voyager Golden Record
Each Voyager space probe carries a gold-plated audio-visual
0:00 MENU
disc in the event that either spacecraft is ever found by
A child's greeting in English
intelligent life-forms from other planetary systems.[65] The
recorded on the Voyager Golden
discs carry photos of the Earth and its lifeforms, a range of
Record
scientific information, spoken greetings from the people
(e.g. the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the
President of the United States, and the children of the Planet Earth) and a medley, "Sounds of Earth",
that includes the sounds of whales, a baby crying, waves breaking on a shore, and a collection of music,
including works by Mozart, Blind Willie Johnson, Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode", Valya Balkanska
and other Eastern and Western classics and ethnic performers.[66] (see also Music in space)

See also
Family Portrait
List of artificial objects escaping from the Solar System
List of missions to the outer planets
New Horizons
Pioneer 10
Pioneer 11
Timeline of artificial satellites and space probes
Voyager 1

References

Notes
A. Some sources cite the discovery of only 10 Uranian moons by Voyager 2,[35][36] but Perdita was discovered in Voyager 2 images
more than a decade after they were taken.[37]
B. One of these moons, Larissa, was first reported in 1981 from ground telescope observations, but not confirmed until the Voyager 2
approach.[45]

Citations
1. "VOYAGER:Mission Information" (https://starbrite.jpl.nasa.gov/ds-view/pds/viewMissionProfile.jsp?MISSION_NAME=VOYAGER).
NASA. 1989. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
2. "Voyager 2" (https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/masterCatalog.do?sc=1977-076A). US National Space Science Data Center.
Retrieved August 25, 2013.
3. "VOYAGER 2" (https://www.n2yo.com/satellite/?s=10271). N2YO. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
4. Butrica, Andrew. From Engineering Science to Big Science (https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4219/Chapter11.html). p. 267. Retrieved
September 4, 2015. "Despite the name change, Voyager remained in many ways the Grand Tour concept, though certainly not the
Grand Tour (TOPS) spacecraft. Voyager 2 was launched on August 20, 1977, followed by Voyager 1 on September 5, 1977. The
decision to reverse the order of launch had to do with keeping open the possibility of carrying out the Grand Tour mission to
Uranus, Neptune, and beyond. Voyager 2, if boosted by the maximum performance from the Titan-Centaur, could just barely catch
the old Grand Tour trajectory and encounter Uranus. Two weeks later, Voyager 1 would leave on an easier and much faster
trajectory, visiting Jupiter and Saturn only. Voyager 1 would arrive at Jupiter four months ahead of Voyager 2, then arrive at Saturn
nine months earlier. Hence, the second spacecraft launched was Voyager 1, not Voyager 2. The two Voyagers would arrive at
Saturn nine months apart, so that if Voyager 1 failed to achieve its Saturn objectives, for whatever reason, Voyager 2 still could be
retargeted to achieve them, though at the expense of any subsequent Uranus or Neptune encounter."
5. NASA Voyager - The Interstellar Mission Mission Overview (http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/index.html) Archived
(https://web.archive.org/web/20110502011335/http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/index.html) May 2, 2011, at the Wayback
Machine.
6. https://www.convertunits.com/from/light+years/to/astronomical+unit
7. Staff (September 9, 2012). "Where are the Voyagers?" (https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/where/index.html). NASA. Retrieved
September 9, 2012.
8. https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status/
9. Gill, Victoria (December 10, 2018). "Nasa's Voyager 2 probe 'leaves the Solar System' " (https://www.bbc.com/news/science-
environment-46502820). BBC News. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
10. Brown, Dwayne; Fox, Karen; Cofield, Calia; Potter, Sean (December 10, 2018). "Release 18-115 - NASA's Voyager 2 Probe
Enters Interstellar Space" (https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-voyager-2-probe-enters-interstellar-space). NASA.
Retrieved December 10, 2018.
11. "At last, Voyager 1 slips into interstellar space – Atom & Cosmos" (https://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/353199
/description/At_last_Voyager_1_slips_into_interstellar_space). Science News. September 12, 2013. Retrieved September 17,
2013.
12. Planetary Voyage (https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/science/planetary.html) NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory – California Institute of
Technology. March 23, 2004. Retrieved April 8, 2007.
13. "VOYAGER 2:Host Information" (https://starbrite.jpl.nasa.gov/ds-view/pds/viewHostProfile.jsp?INSTRUMENT_HOST_ID=VG2).
NASA. 1989. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
14. "NASA News Press Kit 77-136" (http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=9476.0;attach=591860).
JPL/NASA. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
15. "Voyager 2 Craft Details" (https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraftDisplay.do?id=1977-076A). NASA-NSSDC-Spacecraft-
Details. NASA. Retrieved March 9, 2011.
16. Furlong, Richard R.; Wahlquist, Earl J. (1999). "U.S. space missions using radioisotope power systems" (http://www2.ans.org
/pubs/magazines/nn/pdfs/1999-4-2.pdf) (PDF). Nuclear News. 42 (4): 26–34. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
17. "MR-103" (http://www.astronautix.com/m/mr-103.html). Astronautix.com. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
18. "Voyager Backgrounder" (https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19810001583.pdf#page=21) (PDF). Nasa.gov.
Nasa. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
19. Koerner, Brendan. "What Fuel Does Voyager 1 Use?" (https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2003/11/what-voyager-1-uses-for-
fuel.html). Slate.com. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
20. NASA/JPL (August 26, 2003). "Voyager 1 Narrow Angle Camera Description" (https://pds-rings.seti.org/voyager
/iss/inst_cat_na2.html#filters). NASA / PDS. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
21. NASA/JPL (August 26, 2003). "Voyager 1 Wide Angle Camera Description" (https://pds-rings.seti.org/voyager
/iss/inst_cat_wa2.html#filters). NASA / PDS. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
22. "Voyager 2 Full Mission Timeline" (http://www.dmuller.net/spaceflight/mission.php?mission=voyager2&appear=black&
showimg=yes) Muller, Daniel, 2010
23. "Voyager Mission Description" (https://pds-rings.seti.org/voyager/mission/) NASA, February 19, 1997
24. "JPL Mission Information" (https://starbrite.jpl.nasa.gov/ds-view/pds/viewMissionProfile.jsp?MISSION_NAME=VOYAGER) NASA,
JPL, PDS.
25. Sullivant, Rosemary (November 5, 2011). "Voyager 2 to Switch to Backup Thruster Set" (https://www.jpl.nasa.gov
/news/news.cfm?release=2011-341&rn=news.xml&rst=3189). JPL. 2011-341.
26. "Basics of space flight: Interplanetary Trajectories" (https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/basics/bsf4-1.php).
27. Henbest, Nigel (January 31, 1985). "All set to encounter Uranus" (https://books.google.com/books?id=xnxQfGl8qfkC&lpg=PA24&
dq=voyager%20spacecraft%20receiver&pg=PA24#v=onepage&q&f=false). New Scientist. p. 24. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
28. Littmann, Mark (2004). Planets Beyond: Discovering the Outer Solar System (https://books.google.com
/books?id=RoJMadct4TQC&lpg=PA106&dq=voyager%20spacecraft%20receiver&pg=PA106#v=onepage&q&f=false). Courier
Corporation. p. 106. ISBN 9780486436029. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
29. Davies, John (January 23, 1986). "Voyage to the tilted planet" (https://books.google.com/books?id=rYIJJP7audkC&lpg=PA42&
dq=voyager%20spacecraft%20receiver&pg=PA42#v=onepage&q&f=false). New Scientist. p. 42. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
30. National Aeronautics and Space Administration "Voyager 2" (https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/voyager-2/in-depth/) NASA
Science: Solar System Exploration. Updated 26 January 26 2018. Accessed 12 December 2018.
31. "History" (https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/history/70s/Voyager2_1979.htm). www.jpl.nasa.gov.
32. "Voyager Fact Sheet" (https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/frequently-asked-questions/fact-sheet/). JPL. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
33. "NASA - NSSDCA - Master Catalog - Event Query" (https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/EventQuery.jsp). nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov.
34. "Uranus Approach" (https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/science/uranus/) NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of
Technology. Accessed December 11, 2018.
35. Elizabeth Landau (2016) "Voyager Mission Celebrates 30 Years Since Uranus" (https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/voyager-mission-
celebrates-30-years-since-uranus) National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 22 January 2016. Accessed 11 December
2018
36. Voyager 2 Mission Team (2012) "1986: Voyager at Uranus" (https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/184/1986-voyager-at-uranus/)
NASA Science: Solar System Exploration, 14 December, 2012. Accessed 11 December 2018.
37. Erich Karkoschka (2001) "Voyager's Eleventh Discovery of a Satellite of Uranus and Photometry and the First Size Measurements
of Nine Satellites" (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0019103501965972) Icarus, 151(1): 69-77 (May 2001).
38. C.T. Russell (1993) "Planetary magnetospheres" (http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0034-4885/56/6/001/meta) Reports on
Progress in Physics, 56(6): 687-732.
39. "Voyager Steered Toward Neptune" (https://www.newspapers.com/image/555835). Ukiah Daily Journal. March 15, 1987. Retrieved
December 6, 2017.
40. "Fact Sheet" (https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/news/factsheet.html). JPL. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
41. Nardo 2002, p. 15
42. National Aeronautics and Space Administration "Neptune Approach" (https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/science/neptune/)
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory: California Institute of Technology. Accessed 12 December 2018.
43. "Neptune" (https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/science/neptune.html). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
44. National Aeronautics and Space Administration "Neptune Moons" (https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/neptune-moons/in-depth/)
NASA Science: Solar System Exploration. Updated 6 December 2017. Accessed 12 December 2018.
45. Elizabeth Howell (2016) "Neptune's Moons: 14 Discovered So Far" (https://www.space.com/22222-neptunes-moons.html)
Space.com, 30 June 2016. Accessed 12 December 2018.
46. Phil Plait (2016) "Neptune Just Got a Little Dark" (https://slate.com/technology/2016/06/hubble-observation-reveals-a-new-dark-
spot-on-neptune.html) Slate, 24 June 2016. Accessed 12 December 2018.
47. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (1998) "Hubble Finds New Dark Spot on Neptune" (https://www.jpl.nasa.gov
/spaceimages/details.php?id=PIA01286) NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory: California Institute of Technology, 2 August 1998.
Accessed 12 December 2018.
48. "Pluto loses status as a planet" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5282440.stm) BBC News, 24 August 2006. Accessed 12
December 2018.
49. "Voyager Weekly Reports" (https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/weekly-reports/index.htm). Voyager.jpl.nasa.gov. September 6,
2013. Retrieved September 14, 2013.
50. Ulivi, Paolo; Harland, David M (2007). Robotic Exploration of the Solar System Part I: The Golden Age 1957-1982. Springer.
p. 449. ISBN 9780387493268.
51. Notes on Voyager 2 Quick Look Data: Data after November 29, 2006 (ftp://vgrmag.gsfc.nasa.gov/pub/voyager/quicklook/v2-
warning)
52. "NASA - Voyager 2 Proves Solar System Is Squashed" (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/voyager/voyager-20071210.html).
www.nasa.gov.
53. Voyager 2 finds solar system's shape is 'dented' # 2007-12-10, Week Ending December 14, 2007. (https://www.reuters.com/article
/scienceNews/idUSN1044867120071211) Retrieved December 12, 2007.
54. John Antczak (May 6, 2010). "NASA working on Voyager 2 data problem" (https://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2010/05
/06/nasa_working_on_voyager_2_data_problem/). Associated Press.
55. "Engineers Diagnosing Voyager 2 Data System" (https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2010-151). Jet Propulsion
Laboratory. Retrieved May 17, 2010.
56. "NASA Fixes Bug On Voyager 2" (http://www.space-travel.com/reports/NASA_Fixes_Bug_On_Voyager_2_999.html). Retrieved
May 25, 2010.
57. Peat, Chris. "Spacecraft escaping the Solar System" (https://www.heavens-above.com/SolarEscape.aspx). Heavens Above.
Retrieved May 23, 2010.
58. Peat, Chris (September 9, 2012). "Spacecraft escaping the Solar System" (https://www.heavens-above.com/SolarEscape.aspx).
Heavens-Above. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
59. "Voyager - Fast Facts" (https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/fastfacts.html). voyager.jpl.nasa.gov.
60. "At last, Voyager 1 slips into interstellar space – Atom & Cosmos" (https://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/353199
/description/At_last_Voyager_1_slips_into_interstellar_space). Science News. September 12, 2013. Retrieved September 17,
2013.
61. "Voyager – Mission – Interstellar Mission" (https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/interstellar.html). NASA. June 22, 2007. Retrieved
August 14, 2013.
62. "Voyager – Spacecraft – Spacecraft Lifetime" (https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/spacecraftlife.html). NASA Jet Propulsion
Laboratory. March 15, 2008. Retrieved May 25, 2008.
63. "Voyager - The Spacecraft" (https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/spacecraftlife.html). voyager.jpl.nasa.gov.
64. "Voyager – Interstellar Science" (https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/spacecraftlife.html). NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
December 1, 2009. Retrieved December 2, 2009.
65. Ferris, Timothy (May 2012). "Timothy Ferris on Voyagers' Never-Ending Journey" (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-
nature/Timothy-Ferris-on-Voyagers-Never-Ending-Journey.html). Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved June 15, 2012.
66. "Voyager Golden record" (https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/goldenrec.html). JPL. Retrieved August 18, 2013.

Further reading
"Saturn Science Results" (https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/science/saturn.html). Voyager Science Results at Saturn. Retrieved
February 8, 2005.
"Uranus Science Results" (https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/science/uranus.html). Voyager Science Results at Uranus. Retrieved
February 8, 2005.
Nardo, Don (2002). Neptune. Thomson Gale. ISBN 0-7377-1001-2
JPL Voyager Telecom Manual (https://descanso.jpl.nasa.gov/DPSummary/Descanso4--Voyager_new.pdf)
External links
NASA Voyager website (https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/)
Voyager 2 Mission Profile (https://web.archive.org/web/20070801230949/http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions
/profile.cfm?MCode=Voyager_2) by NASA's Solar System Exploration (https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/)
Voyager 2 (NSSDC Master Catalog) (https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraftDisplay.do?id=1977-076A)

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Voyager_2&oldid=873763057"