{"id":141100,"date":"2022-08-17T14:31:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-17T18:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-482128"},"modified":"2024-03-01T09:43:53","modified_gmt":"2024-03-01T14:43:53","slug":"voyager-nasas-longest-lived-mission-logs-45-years-in-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/voyager-program\/voyager-2\/voyager-nasas-longest-lived-mission-logs-45-years-in-space\/","title":{"rendered":"Voyager, NASA\u2019s Longest-Lived Mission, Logs 45 Years in Space"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/1-voyager-2-spacecraft-1041.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1041\" height=\"828\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/1-voyager-2-spacecraft-1041.jpg?w=1041\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Engineers preparing the Voyager 2 spacecraft \" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/1-voyager-2-spacecraft-1041.jpg 1041w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/1-voyager-2-spacecraft-1041.jpg?resize=300,239 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/1-voyager-2-spacecraft-1041.jpg?resize=768,611 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/1-voyager-2-spacecraft-1041.jpg?resize=1024,814 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/1-voyager-2-spacecraft-1041.jpg?resize=400,318 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/1-voyager-2-spacecraft-1041.jpg?resize=600,477 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/1-voyager-2-spacecraft-1041.jpg?resize=900,716 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1041px) 100vw, 1041px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">This archival image taken at NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on March 23, 1977, shows engineers preparing the Voyager 2 spacecraft ahead of its launch later that year. u003cstrongu003eCredits: NASA\/JPL-Caltechu003c\/strongu003e<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>Launched in 1977, the twin Voyager probes are NASA\u2019s longest-operating mission and the only spacecraft ever to explore interstellar space. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/voyager.jpl.nasa.gov\/\" rel=\"noopener\">twin Voyager probes<\/a> have become, in some ways, time capsules of their era: They each carry an eight-track tape player for recording data, they have about 3 million times less memory than modern cellphones, and they transmit data about 38,000 times slower than a 5G internet connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet the Voyagers remain on the cutting edge of space exploration. Managed and operated by NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, they are the <a href=\"https:\/\/voyager.jpl.nasa.gov\/news\/details.php?article_id=122\" rel=\"noopener\">only probes<\/a> to ever <a href=\"https:\/\/voyager.jpl.nasa.gov\/news\/details.php?article_id=116\" rel=\"noopener\">explore interstellar space<\/a> \u2013 the galactic ocean that our Sun and its planets travel through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Sun and the planets reside in the heliosphere, a protective bubble created by the Sun\u2019s magnetic field and the outward flow of solar wind (charged particles from the Sun). Researchers \u2013 some of them younger than the two distant spacecraft \u2013 are combining Voyager\u2019s observations with data from newer missions to get a more complete <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/heliophysics\/focus-areas\" rel=\"noopener\">picture of our Sun<\/a> and how the heliosphere interacts with interstellar space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe heliophysics mission fleet provides invaluable insights into our Sun, from understanding the corona or the outermost part of the Sun\u2019s atmosphere, to examining the Sun\u2019s impacts throughout the solar system, including here on Earth, in our atmosphere, and on into interstellar space,\u201d said Nicola Fox, director of the Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. \u201cOver the last 45 years, the Voyager missions have been integral in providing this knowledge and have helped change our understanding of the Sun and its influence in ways no other spacecraft can.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><i><em>NASA\u2019s Solar System Interactive lets users see where the Voyagers are right now relative to the planets, the Sun, and other spacecraft. <a href=\"\/\/eyes.nasa.gov\/apps\/orrery\/#\/home\u201d\">Eyes on the Solar System<\/a>. Credit: NASA\/JPL-Caltech <\/em><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Voyagers are also ambassadors, each carrying a <a href=\"https:\/\/voyager.jpl.nasa.gov\/golden-record\/\" rel=\"noopener\">golden record<\/a> containing images of life on Earth, diagrams of basic scientific principles, and audio that includes sounds from nature, greetings in multiple languages, and music. The gold-coated records serve as a cosmic \u201cmessage in a bottle\u201d for anyone who might encounter the space probes. At the rate gold decays in space and is eroded by cosmic radiation, the records will last more than a billion years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Beyond Expectations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/solarsystem.nasa.gov\/missions\/voyager-2\/in-depth\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Voyager 2<\/a> launched on Aug. 20, 1977, quickly followed by <a href=\"https:\/\/solarsystem.nasa.gov\/missions\/voyager-1\/in-depth\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Voyager 1<\/a> on Sept. 5. Both probes traveled to Jupiter and Saturn, with Voyager 1 moving faster and reaching them first. Together, the probes unveiled much about the solar system\u2019s two largest planets and their moons. Voyager 2 also became the first and only spacecraft to fly close to Uranus (in 1986) and Neptune (in 1989), offering humanity remarkable views of \u2013 and insights into \u2013 these distant worlds.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/e2-infographic-overview-1041.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1041\" height=\"789\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/e2-infographic-overview-1041.jpg?w=1041\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"This infographic highlights the mission\u2019s major milestones\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/e2-infographic-overview-1041.jpg 1041w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/e2-infographic-overview-1041.jpg?resize=300,227 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/e2-infographic-overview-1041.jpg?resize=768,582 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/e2-infographic-overview-1041.jpg?resize=1024,776 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/e2-infographic-overview-1041.jpg?resize=400,303 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/e2-infographic-overview-1041.jpg?resize=600,455 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/e2-infographic-overview-1041.jpg?resize=900,682 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1041px) 100vw, 1041px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">Voyager 1 and 2 have accomplished a lot since they launched in 1977. This infographic highlights the mission\u2019s major milestones, including visiting the four outer planets and exiting the heliosphere, or the protective bubble of magnetic fields and particles created by the Sun. u003cstrongu003eCredits: NASA\/JPL-Caltechu003c\/strongu003e<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>While Voyager 2 was conducting these flybys, Voyager 1 headed toward the boundary of the heliosphere. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpl.nasa.gov\/news\/nasa-spacecraft-embarks-on-historic-journey-into-interstellar-space\" rel=\"noopener\">Upon exiting it in 2012<\/a>, Voyager 1 discovered that the heliosphere blocks 70% of cosmic rays, or energetic particles created by exploding stars. Voyager 2, after completing its planetary explorations, continued to the heliosphere boundary, <a href=\"https:\/\/voyager.jpl.nasa.gov\/news\/details.php?article_id=112\" rel=\"noopener\">exiting in 2018<\/a>. The twin spacecraft\u2019s combined data from this region has challenged previous theories about the exact shape of the heliosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cToday, as both Voyagers explore interstellar space, they are providing humanity with observations of uncharted territory,\u201d said Linda Spilker, Voyager\u2019s deputy project scientist at JPL. \u201cThis is the first time we\u2019ve been able to directly study how a star, our Sun, interacts with the particles and magnetic fields outside our heliosphere, helping scientists understand the local neighborhood between the stars, upending some of the theories about this region, and providing key information for future missions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Voyager 2 Launch\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4vauVXc9jEU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><sub>This archival video shows the launch of NASA\u2019s Voyager 2 spacecraft on Aug. 20, 1977. It also features historic footage of the golden records that are attached to both Voyager 2 and its twin Voyager 1 and carry messages for anyone who might come upon one of the spacecraft.<br><strong><em>Credits: NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/em><\/strong><\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Long Journey<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the years, the Voyager team has grown accustomed to surmounting challenges that come with operating such mature spacecraft, sometimes calling upon retired colleagues for their expertise or digging through documents written decades ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each Voyager is powered by a <a href=\"https:\/\/rps.nasa.gov\/news\/48\/proud-past-strong-future-rps-at-60\/\" rel=\"noopener\">radioisotope thermoelectric generator<\/a> containing plutonium, which gives off heat that is converted to electricity. As the plutonium decays, the heat output decreases and the Voyagers lose electricity. <a href=\"https:\/\/voyager.jpl.nasa.gov\/news\/details.php?article_id=114\" rel=\"noopener\">To compensate<\/a>, the team turned off all nonessential systems and some once considered essential, including heaters that protect the still-operating instruments from the frigid temperatures of space. All five of the instruments that have had their heaters turned off since 2019 are still working, despite being well below the lowest temperatures they were ever tested at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Recently, Voyager 1 began <a href=\"https:\/\/voyager.jpl.nasa.gov\/news\/details.php?article_id=124\" rel=\"noopener\">experiencing an issue<\/a> that caused status information about one of its onboard systems to become garbled. Despite this, the system and spacecraft otherwise continue to operate normally, suggesting the problem is with the production of the status data, not the system itself. The probe is still sending back science observations while the engineering team tries to fix the problem or find a way to work around it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Voyagers have continued to make amazing discoveries, inspiring a new generation of scientists and engineers,\u201d said Suzanne Dodd, project manager for Voyager at JPL. \u201cWe don\u2019t know how long the mission will continue, but we can be sure that the spacecraft will provide even more scientific surprises as they travel farther away from the Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>More About the Mission<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A division of Caltech in Pasadena, JPL built and operates the Voyager spacecraft. The Voyager missions are a part of the NASA Heliophysics System Observatory, sponsored by the Heliophysics Division of the Science Mission Directorate in Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information about the Voyager spacecraft, visit:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/voyager\">https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/voyager<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Calla Cofield<\/strong><br> Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.<br> 626-808-2469<br> <a href=\"mailto:calla.e.cofield@jpl.nasa.gov\">calla.e.cofield@jpl.nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2022-123<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Launched in 1977, the twin Voyager probes are NASA\u2019s longest-operating mission and the only spacecraft ever to explore interstellar space. NASA\u2019s twin Voyager probes have become, in some ways, time capsules of their era: They each carry an eight-track tape player for recording data, they have about 3 million times less memory than modern cellphones, [...]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":147275,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[9422,2837,2860,13162,2661,2828,9421,2797],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[8605,12642,8612,13068],"coauthors":[12651],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Voyager, NASA\u2019s Longest-Lived Mission, Logs 45 Years in Space","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/voyager-program\/voyager-2\/voyager-nasas-longest-lived-mission-logs-45-years-in-space\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/voyager-program\/voyager-2\/voyager-nasas-longest-lived-mission-logs-45-years-in-space\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/1-voyager-2-spacecraft-1041.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/1-voyager-2-spacecraft-1041.jpg"},"articleSection":"Missions","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jet Propulsion Laboratory"}],"creator":["Jet Propulsion Laboratory"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Missions","Voyager Program","Voyager 2","Heliophysics","Jet Propulsion Laboratory","Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS)","Technology","Technology for Space Travel","Voyager 1"],"dateCreated":"2022-08-17T18:31:00Z","datePublished":"2022-08-17T18:31:00Z","dateModified":"2024-03-01T14:43:53Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"Voyager, NASA\u2019s Longest-Lived Mission, Logs 45 Years in Space\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/voyager-program\/voyager-2\/voyager-nasas-longest-lived-mission-logs-45-years-in-space\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/1-voyager-2-spacecraft-1041.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2022-08-17T18:31:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"Missions\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Missions,Voyager Program,Voyager 2,Heliophysics,Jet Propulsion Laboratory,Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS),Technology,Technology for Space Travel,Voyager 1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Jet Propulsion Laboratory\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":5,"time_ago":"2 years","featured_image":{"id":147275,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/1-voyager-2-spacecraft-1041.jpg","title":"1-voyager-2-spacecraft-1041","alt":"Engineers preparing the Voyager 2 spacecraft","caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141100"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/53"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=141100"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141100\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":625222,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141100\/revisions\/625222"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/147275"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=141100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=141100"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=141100"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=141100"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=141100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}