Robotic exploration · Launched in 1977
Voyager 1 launched on September 5, 1977, to study the outer planets. Its encounters with Jupiter in 1979 and Saturn in 1980 returned images and measurements that expanded knowledge of those planets, their moons, and their surrounding environments.
The spacecraft's mission extended far beyond those flybys. In August 2012, Voyager 1 crossed the heliopause into interstellar space, beyond the region dominated by the solar wind. A large communications dish and instruments mounted on extended booms reflect the different priorities of a robotic explorer: making measurements and sending information home across immense distances.
What to look for
- A large dish antenna for communication with Earth
- Instrument booms extending away from the spacecraft body
- A mission based on measurements rather than carrying a crew