Voyagers in Space
*** Written by Cheryl Reifsnyder
>>> One Tough Job
The United States sent two voyager spacecraft into space in 1977. Their job was to fly past Jupiter and Saturn, two giant planets in our solar system.
Scientists built the voyagers to be tough. Still, they thought the voyagers would only work for about five years. More than thirty-five years later, both spacecraft are still working.
>>>Can you hear me now?
As of 2014, voyager 1 is about twelve billion miles away from earth. It sends messages home using a radio. That radio is only about as powerful as the lightbulb in a refrigerator, though. The messages take about seventeen hours to travel back to earth. NASA uses giant satellite dishes around the world to catch the weak signal.
>>> Planning
The trip was carefully planned. The planets all move around the sun at different speeds. Sometimes they are on the same side of the sun. Sometimes they are on opposite sides. In the late 1970s, the four biggest planets in our solar system all lined up near each other. They were close enough together that the voyagers could visit them all in one trip.
>>> The main task
The voyagers&`& first job was to study Jupiter and Saturn, their larger moons, and Saturn’s rings. As the two spacecraft flew, they made discoveries about our solar system.
>>> Jupiter
The voyagers’ first target was Jupiter, the solar system&`&s largest planet. People had already seen Jupiter through telescopes, but the voyagers gave a much better view. They showed that the great red spot was a huge, spinning storm. They discovered a ring around Jupiter like the ones around Saturn. They also helped scientists learn more about Jupiter&`&s moons.
>>> Saturn
The voyagers arrived at Saturn nine months apart in 1980 and 1981. They took pictures that showed new rings around the solar system&`&s second largest planet.
>>> Uranus
After passing Saturn, voyager 1 headed toward deep space. Voyager 2 kept going toward Uranus. This strange light blue planet is tipped on its side. Voyager 2 passed Uranus in early 1986.
>>> Neptune
Next, voyager 2 flew toward Neptune. It passed the planet in August of 1989 and discovered five new moons. Then, like voyager 1, voyager 2 began its journey toward deep space.
>>> The golden record
The voyagers aren&`&t just collecting information. They are also carrying a message. It&`&s a greeting to other living things that may be in space. The message is on a “Golden Record” on the side of each spacecraft. The record has music, art, and people from around the world saying “hello” on it.
The outside of the record has a map that shows where earth is. Other living things could use the map to find our planet, but that probably won&`&t happen soon. Voyager 1 won&`&t come close to another star for at least forty thousand years!
>>> The final task
Now that the voyagers have finished exploring planets, they have a new task. Their job is to explore space beyond our solar system. In August 2012, voyager 1 left our solar system and began this new journey. The spacecraft is the first thing made by people ever to leave our solar system.
>>> Conclusion
Voyager “has opened up our solar system,” says project scientist Dr. Edward Stone. The two spacecraft flew past all of the solar system’s giant outer planets and many moons. Now the voyagers are giving us a first look at deep space while carrying a message from earth.
