Voyager 2 Mission

UPSC Reference Category: GS Paper III – Science & Technology | Space Science | Astronomy

Launch

20 August 1977

Mission

NASA's Voyager 2 is one of the most successful deep-space missions.

Unique Achievement

Voyager 2 is the only spacecraft to have visited all four giant planets at close range:

  1. Jupiter
  2. Saturn
  3. Uranus
  4. Neptune.

Interstellar Space

It crossed the heliopause and entered interstellar space in 2018.

Scientific Importance

It provided important information about:

  • Outer planets
  • Planetary magnetic fields
  • Moons
  • Rings
  • Solar wind
  • Interstellar environment.

2026 Update

NASA engineers implemented a power-saving strategy to keep Voyager 2's scientific instruments operating longer.

Key Pointer

Voyager 2 → 1977 → Jupiter-Saturn-Uranus-Neptune → interstellar space

Prelims Trap: Voyager 2, unlike Voyager 1, visited Uranus and Neptune.