Archive | 45 years ago, the Voyager 1 and 2 probes began their space odyssey
The Voyager 1 and 2 space probes were launched into space in 1977.
August 20 and On September 5, 1977, the twin probes Voyager 1 and 2 were launched. The latter made important discoveries during their exploration of the outer planets of our solar system.
“The second space probe of the Voyager mission, Voyager 1, was successfully launched this morning from Cape Kennedy Space Center to Jupiter and Saturn. »
— Normand Harvey, host of Le Téléjournal, September 5, 1977
Host Normand Harvey describes the launch of the Voyager 1 probe.
On September 5, 1977, the Téléjournal reported the launch of Voyager 1 by NASA.
A few days earlier, it was his twin sister who left to explore the distant neighbors of the Earth.
Speeding at 51,500 km/h (32,481 mph), the probes' primary objective is to unlock the secrets of Jupiter and Saturn.
“[…] We knew that this mission would hold discoveries for us and that, despite all our preparation, we were going to be surprised throughout the mission. »
— Ed Stone, former director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Report by journalist Michel Rochon and director Mariele Choquette on the mission of Voyager 1 and 2.
A report by journalist Michel Rochon and director Mariele Choquette, presented on September 15, 2002 on the program Découverte hosted by Charles Tisseyre, details what they detected.
The first encounter was with Jupiter.
The most surprising discovery was the intense volcanic activity that agitates Io, one of Jupiter's moons.
The probes discover nine active volcanoes on Io (there are now more than 400) which makes this moon the most geologically dynamic object in the solar system.
The second appointment has been made with Saturn.
The two probes then analyzed the structure of the planet's famous rings.
Voyager 2 then headed for Uranus, which it reached in January 1986.
The probe revealed new moons to the gas giant as well as additional rings to the nine circles we already knew about.
Exploration continued with the encounter with Neptune in August 1989.
The mission revealed the dynamism of the atmosphere as well as the nine rings of Neptune and 10 additional moons.
Voyager 2 then headed toward the edge of our solar system.
Journalist Frédéric Arnould highlights the technological prowess of Voyager 2 and the message it carries for possible extraterrestrial civilizations.
September 5, 2017, the Téléjournal, hosted by Céline Galipeau, and journalist Frédéric Arnould pay tribute to the Voyager mission on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the launch of the two probes.
The journalist recalls the phenomenal distance that Voyager 2 has traveled since 1977: 20.8 billion kilometers.
Voyageur 1 and 2 transmitted a massive amount of data about space to scientists back on Earth.
That's a tremendous feat for objects that weigh barely 800 kilos and are no bigger than a compact car.
The two probes also had another mission: to greet possible extraterrestrial neighbors.
To accomplish this mission, Voyager 1 and 2 were equipped with two golden discs. They were engraved to contain a wealth of information about the Earth and its inhabitants.
A word of welcome has been recorded in about fifty languages and dialects.
There is also information on the position of the Earth in the solar system as well as different elements that describe the environment and human civilization.
In 2017, NASA added two sentences recorded by Captain James Kirk of the spacecraft USS Enterprise , aka comedian William Shatner.
We offer you our friendship across the stars. You are not alone.
As of now, Captain Kirk and NASA have not received a response.
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