Mission Details
|
Landmark Dates
|
Craft
|
Destination
|
Voyager 2
Launched: 20 Aug 1977
Uranus flyby: 24 Jan 1986
Flyby distance: 80,000 km
|
Voyager 2 |
Uranus |
The First Probe to Uranus
Voyager 2 had a planetary mission using a gravity-assist
technique to flyby Jupiter in 1979, Saturn in 1981, Uranus in 1986,
Neptune in 1989, and on out of the solar system. The idea is for
it to keep transmitting until it reaches the edge of the heliosphere
(the edge of the Sun's influence, and the start of true interstellar
space).
|
Mission Results:
- The mission made the first detailed maps
of the five known main satellites: Miranda, Ariel, Umbrial,
Titania and Oberon.
- Ten new moons were added to the total.
These all orbit within the orbit of Miranda - the previously
known innermost moon.
- The Uranian ring system was studies: ten
individual rings were identified as well as broad sheet
of material closer in.
- The outermost ring is kept
in place by two 'shepherd' moons, Cordelia and Ophelia.
- Cloud formations in the atmosphere of Uranus
were observed, but this planet certainly turned out to be
the 'quietest' world of the entire mission.
|
|
|
