Why in the News?

NASA’'s Voyager 2 spacecraft, which is venturing through space between stars, faces communication problems due to antenna misalignment. .

About Voyager 2 Spacecraft:

• Voyager 2 is an iconic interplanetary spacecraft launched by NASA on August 20, 1977, with the primary objective of exploring the outer planets of our solar system.
• It is part of the Voyager program, and along with its twin, Voyager 1, it has provided invaluable insights into the distant regions of our cosmic neighborhood.
• The spacecraft is equipped with a suite of scientific instruments to study various aspects of the planets it encounters, including their atmospheres, magnetic fields, and planetary surfaces.
• Voyager 2 successfully conducted close flybys of Jupiter in 1979, Saturn in 1981, Uranus in 1986, and Neptune in 1989, becoming the first and only spacecraft to visit these four giant gas planets.
• Beyond its initial mission, Voyager 2 continues to be operational and remains in communication with Earth, traveling at an impressive speed of approximately 34,000 miles per hour (55,000 kilometers per hour).
• It has since left the heliosphere, the region influenced by the Sun's magnetic field, and entered interstellar space, becoming the second human-made object to do so after Voyager 1.
• Throughout its journey, Voyager 2 has provided a wealth of data and discoveries about the outer planets and their moons, as well as valuable information about the space environment outside the solar system.
• It has captured breathtaking images of planetary systems, revealing the beauty and complexity of the outer planets and their fascinating moons.
• The spacecraft continues to be a remarkable testament to human ingenuity and curiosity as it ventures farther into the cosmos, providing us with an enduring legacy of exploration and knowledge about our celestial neighbors.