CERTIFIED












                                             Voyager 1 Flyby Geometry
                                             Voyager 2 Flyby Geometry





























    Each of the 3-axis spin stabilized Voyager spacecraft was equipped with an enabling scan platform, a challenging limited computer and eight-track digital tape recorder. The mission was designed to take advantage of a planetary alignment that occurs every 175 years. Although Voyager’s goal was to explore Jupiter and Saturn and their environments, different options were reserved for the 2 crafts. Voyager 1 was targeted to Jupiter, Saturn and Titan while the Voyager 2 trajectory allowed it to continue on to Uranus and Neptune.

    The Voyager 1 encounter spanned the time period between 1980-08-22 and 1980-12-14 with closest approach on November 12, 1980 at a distance of 184,300 km from the planet center. While the Voyager 2 encounter spanned 1980-12-14 to 1981-09-03 with closest approach on August 25,1981 at a distance of 161,000 km from the planet center

    Voyager's objective was the exploration of Jupiter and Saturn, and their magnetospheres and satellites. Major emphasis was placed on studying the satellites in as much detail as possible. The study of Titan, the only satellite in the solar system known to have an extensive atmosphere, was nearly as high a priority as studies of Saturn itself

    Saturn Achievements

    Voyages to Saturn NASA SP-451 1982 provides a review on the Voyage 1 and 2 encounters and summarizes the insights gained from the mission.

    References Helpful in Scoping the Mission

    Mission Overview
    Spacecraft Description A list of pertinent references
    Also See Space Science Reviews 21 (1977 – Issue 2) 77-101

    Understanding the Instruments and Archived Data

    ISS - Narrow and wide angle cameras with filters in a 280-640 nm range
    IRIS - Infrared Interferometric Spectrometer
    UVS - Ultraviolet Spectrometer
    PPS - Photopolarimeter
    MAG - Triaxial Fluxgate Magnetometer
    LECP - Low Energy Charged Particle Detector
    PLS - Plasma Spectrometer
    PRA - Planetary Radio Astronomy Investigation
    PWS - Planetary Wave Spectrometer
    CRS - Cosmic Ray System
    RSS - Radio Science System

    Other Useful Products for Interpreting the Data

    Locating Voyager Publications
    Geometry in "SPICE" format may be obtained at the NAIF node