Humans leave their presence far beyond then our solar system. here the list of spacecraft that acquired escape velocity to cross our solar system and reach interstellar space.
Voyager 1
Launch date : Sep 5 1977.
Launch site: CCAFS Space Launch Complex 41.
Objectives : flybys of Jupiter, Saturn, and Saturn's largest moon, Titan.
Discoveries : Voyager 1 studied the weather, magnetic fields, and rings of the Jupiter and Satur and was the first probe to provide detailed images of titan and other moon.
Left solar system : On August 25, 2012, Voyager 1 became the first spacecraft to cross the heliopause ( bubble like region in space created by sun beyond this interstellar medium is present)and enter the interstellar medium.
Power supply : Radioisotopic thermo electric generator.
Mission control : NASA / Jet Jropulsion Laboratory.
Future of the probe : Voyager 1's extended mission is expected to continue until about 2025. 2025 - 2030, it won't able to power even a single instrument.
Mission duration : 42 years 8 months.
Mission cost : 865 million USD (both voyager 1 and 2).
Voyager 2
Launch date : 16 days before voyager 1.
Launch site : CCAFS Space Launch Complex 41.
Objectives : Flyby of Saturn, Uranus and Jovian system (moons of Jupiter) exploration of Neptune system.
Discoveries : At Uranus, Voyager 2 discovered 10 new moons and two new rings. Voyager 2 was the first human-made object to flyby Neptune. At Neptune, Voyager 2 discovered five moons, four rings, and a "Great Dark Spot."
Left solar system : On November 5, 2018, at a distance of 122 AU (1.83×1010 km) (about 16:58 light-hours) from the Sun, moving at a velocity of 15.341 km/s relative to the Sun, Voyager 2 left the heliosphere, and entered the interstellar (ISM), a medium region of outer space beyond the influence of the Solar System.
Power supply : 3 Multihundred-Watt radioisotope thermoelectric generators (MHWRTG).
Mission control : NASA / Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Future of the probe : on 2025 or later no longer able to supply power to any instrument.
Mission duration : 42 years , 8 months.
Mission cost : 865 million USD (both voyager 1 and 2).
Pioneer 10
Launch Date : March 2 , 1972.
Launch Site : Cape Canaveral , Florida.
Objectives : used to study the asteroid belt, the environment around Jupiter, the solar wind, cosmic rays.
Discoveries : performed flyby across Jupiter and its outer Sinope.
Left solar system : Between July 15, 1972, and February 15, 1973, it became the first spacecraft to traverse the asteroid belt and reaches interstellar space.
Power supply : 4 radioisotope thermoelectric generators.
Mission control : NASA Ames Research Center, California.
Future of the probe : It power supply was dead in 2003.
Mission duration: 30 years.
Mission cost: 350 million USD.
Pioneer 11
Launch date: April 6 , 1973.
Launch site : Cape canaveral , Florida.
Objectives : To study the asteroid belt and the atmosphere of Jupiter, saturn jovian moons and cosmic rays.
Discoveries : Pioneer 11 found evidence of Saturn's "bow shock", or the spot where Saturn's magnetic field shielded the planet from the effects of the sun. This was the first evidence NASA had about Saturn's magnetic field.
Left solar system : last good engineering data was received on November 24, 1995. It is on its trajectory to take it out of the solar system.
Power supply : 4 SNAP-19 radioisotope thermoelectric generators.
Mission control: NASA Ames Research Center, California.
Future of the probe : It was already dead, last good engineering data was received on November 24, 1995.
Mission Duration : 22 years 5 month.
Mission coat : 150 million USD.
New Horizons
Launch date : Jan 19 2006.
Launch site : Cape Canaveral , Florida.
Objectives : map the surface composition of Pluto and Charon. and to conduct investigation on Kuiper belt.
Discoveries : perform flyby to Jupiter, Jovian moons and Pluto and reach kuiper belt.
Left solar system : in August 2018, it passed hydrogen wall present in outer edge of solar system.
power supply : radioisotope thermoelectric generator (245.7 w at launch).
Mission control : Mission Operations Center (MOC) at the Applied Physics Laboratory in Howard County, Maryland.
Future of the probe : New Horizons is scheduled to continue studying the Kuiper Belt through at least 2021.
Mission Duration : Elapsed : 14 years 6 month.
Mission cost : 700 million USD.
to know further about new horizons
check out our post : NEW HORIZONS
Voyager 1
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| voyager image source : nasa |
Launch date : Sep 5 1977.
Launch site: CCAFS Space Launch Complex 41.
Objectives : flybys of Jupiter, Saturn, and Saturn's largest moon, Titan.
Discoveries : Voyager 1 studied the weather, magnetic fields, and rings of the Jupiter and Satur and was the first probe to provide detailed images of titan and other moon.
Left solar system : On August 25, 2012, Voyager 1 became the first spacecraft to cross the heliopause ( bubble like region in space created by sun beyond this interstellar medium is present)and enter the interstellar medium.
Power supply : Radioisotopic thermo electric generator.
Mission control : NASA / Jet Jropulsion Laboratory.
Future of the probe : Voyager 1's extended mission is expected to continue until about 2025. 2025 - 2030, it won't able to power even a single instrument.
Mission duration : 42 years 8 months.
Mission cost : 865 million USD (both voyager 1 and 2).
Voyager 2
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| voyager 2 image source : nasa |
Launch date : 16 days before voyager 1.
Launch site : CCAFS Space Launch Complex 41.
Objectives : Flyby of Saturn, Uranus and Jovian system (moons of Jupiter) exploration of Neptune system.
Discoveries : At Uranus, Voyager 2 discovered 10 new moons and two new rings. Voyager 2 was the first human-made object to flyby Neptune. At Neptune, Voyager 2 discovered five moons, four rings, and a "Great Dark Spot."
Left solar system : On November 5, 2018, at a distance of 122 AU (1.83×1010 km) (about 16:58 light-hours) from the Sun, moving at a velocity of 15.341 km/s relative to the Sun, Voyager 2 left the heliosphere, and entered the interstellar (ISM), a medium region of outer space beyond the influence of the Solar System.
Power supply : 3 Multihundred-Watt radioisotope thermoelectric generators (MHWRTG).
Mission control : NASA / Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Future of the probe : on 2025 or later no longer able to supply power to any instrument.
Mission duration : 42 years , 8 months.
Mission cost : 865 million USD (both voyager 1 and 2).
Pioneer 10
 |
| pioneer 10 image source : nasa |
Launch Date : March 2 , 1972.
Launch Site : Cape Canaveral , Florida.
Objectives : used to study the asteroid belt, the environment around Jupiter, the solar wind, cosmic rays.
Discoveries : performed flyby across Jupiter and its outer Sinope.
Left solar system : Between July 15, 1972, and February 15, 1973, it became the first spacecraft to traverse the asteroid belt and reaches interstellar space.
Power supply : 4 radioisotope thermoelectric generators.
Mission control : NASA Ames Research Center, California.
Future of the probe : It power supply was dead in 2003.
Mission duration: 30 years.
Mission cost: 350 million USD.
Pioneer 11
 |
| pioneer 11 image source : nasa |
Launch site : Cape canaveral , Florida.
Objectives : To study the asteroid belt and the atmosphere of Jupiter, saturn jovian moons and cosmic rays.
Discoveries : Pioneer 11 found evidence of Saturn's "bow shock", or the spot where Saturn's magnetic field shielded the planet from the effects of the sun. This was the first evidence NASA had about Saturn's magnetic field.
Left solar system : last good engineering data was received on November 24, 1995. It is on its trajectory to take it out of the solar system.
Power supply : 4 SNAP-19 radioisotope thermoelectric generators.
Mission control: NASA Ames Research Center, California.
Future of the probe : It was already dead, last good engineering data was received on November 24, 1995.
Mission Duration : 22 years 5 month.
Mission coat : 150 million USD.
New Horizons
 |
| New Horizons image source : NASA |
Launch date : Jan 19 2006.
Launch site : Cape Canaveral , Florida.
Objectives : map the surface composition of Pluto and Charon. and to conduct investigation on Kuiper belt.
Discoveries : perform flyby to Jupiter, Jovian moons and Pluto and reach kuiper belt.
Left solar system : in August 2018, it passed hydrogen wall present in outer edge of solar system.
power supply : radioisotope thermoelectric generator (245.7 w at launch).
Mission control : Mission Operations Center (MOC) at the Applied Physics Laboratory in Howard County, Maryland.
Future of the probe : New Horizons is scheduled to continue studying the Kuiper Belt through at least 2021.
Mission Duration : Elapsed : 14 years 6 month.
Mission cost : 700 million USD.
to know further about new horizons
check out our post : NEW HORIZONS
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