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Artist's impression
Space probe
Voyager 2
Voyager 2 is the only space probe that has visited Uranus and Neptune. It has been flying through space since 1977.
Fact file
- Type
- Space probe
- Launch
- 20 August 1977
Interesting facts about Voyager 2
- Voyager 2 is the only probe ever to have visited Uranus and Neptune.
- It was launched 16 days BEFORE Voyager 1 – but is called “2” because its slower path brought it to Jupiter later.
- In 12 years it flew past all four giant planets – the “Grand Tour”.
Frequently asked questions about Voyager 2
Which planets did Voyager 2 visit?
Voyager 2 flew past all four giant planets: Jupiter (1979), Saturn (1981), Uranus (1986) and Neptune (1989). To this day it is the only probe to have visited Uranus and Neptune.
Why is it called Voyager 2 even though it launched first?
Voyager 2 launched 16 days before Voyager 1. But it flew on a slower path and reached Jupiter later. That is why it was given the number 2.
When was Voyager 2 launched?
The mission began on 20 August 1977.
Which celestial bodies has Voyager 2 visited?
Voyager 2 visited Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. All milestones with their dates are listed further down this page.
The mission
Identical to Voyager 1. At each planet, its path used the planet's gravity as a slingshot to the next one.
Technology and flight
Like Voyager 1, it runs on radioisotope batteries; both probes are expected to send data until about 2030.
Discoveries
Among other things, it discovered ten moons of Uranus, the geysers on Triton and the Great Dark Spot on Neptune.
For comparison
Everything we know about Uranus and Neptune from close up comes from these two brief flybys.
Mission milestones
- Launch at Earth
Launch from Cape Canaveral, start of the “Grand Tour” through the outer Solar System.
- Jupiter at Jupiter
Jupiter flyby with detailed images of the Galilean moons.
- Saturn at Saturn
Saturn flyby, gaining speed for the journey to Uranus.
- Uranus at Uranus
First and so far only visit to Uranus: 10 new moons and two new rings discovered.
- Neptune & Triton at Neptune
First and so far only visit to Neptune: Great Dark Spot, geysers on Triton.
- Interstellar space
Voyager 2 becomes the second probe to leave the heliosphere.
Voyager 2 in the tours
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