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The Voyager spacecraft are unmanned spacecraft. They have been exploring the Solar System since 1977.

Launch
In 1977, NASA launched Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. They launched Voyager 2 on 20th August 1977, and they launched Voyager 1 on 5th September 1977.

Jupiter
Voyager 1 reached Jupiter in March 1979. It sent back many photos of the planet and its moons. Voyager 2 reached Jupiter four months later. Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 made many new discoveries. They showed that one of the moons of Jupiter has active volcanoes. They discovered new moons. They showed that Jupiter had rings. They also sent back photos of Jupiters famous Great Red Spot. The photos showed that the Red Spot was actually a very big storm.

Saturn, Uranus and Neptune

Voyager 1 reached Saturn in November 1980. It looked at Saturns rings and Saturns moon, Titan. Voyager 2 reached Saturn in August 1981. It then travelled on to Uranus, which it reached in January 1986, and Neptune in August 1989.

Goodbye, Solar System

On 25th August 2012, Voyager 1 left the Solar System. Voyager 1 is now the farthest man-made object from Earth. It is travelling at a speed of 60,000 kilometres an hour. Voyager 2 will leave the Solar System in 2016. They will travel into deep space but their power will run out in 2025.

The Golden Record

Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 both carry a golden disc called the Golden Record. The Golden Record contains photos of Earth, music, the voices of famous people and sounds from Earth, including a baby crying.

CLIL360 2014 All rights reserved. May be photocopied for use in the classroom. Images from Wikimedia Commons and are in public domain.