worldhobbyist: HASEGAWA HOBBY MODEL KIT 1/48 Unmanned Space Probe Voyager

The Voyager 1 and 2 unmanned space probes were launched into space in 1977 as part of the Voyager program. Voyager is a United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) program to explore the outer planets of, and eventually the interstellar space beyond, our solar system. According to orignal NASA plans, the two probes would make near approaches to JupIter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, allowing the collection of valuable data about these planets before the probes continued their respectIve voyages beyond the solar system. Both of the unmanned probes received as their own names the "Voyager" name of the overall project. Voyager 1 was launched on September 5, 1977, and Voyager 2 was launched on August 20 of that year. Actually, both probes had onginally been scheduled to be launched on the same day, but problems with the onboard systems of Voyager 1 delayed its launch, while Voyager 2 was launched on the onginally scheduled date of August 20. The 1977 launch date was significant, because the outer planets of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto (which was still considered a planet at the time) were aligned in that year in such a way that the pull of their respective gravitational fields would allow the two Voyager probes to make a "Grand Tour" of near approaches to the planet using the so-called method of "swing-by" or "gravitational slingshot" space navigation.

The layout and construction of Voyager 1 and 2 were nearly identical. Each had a weight of 721.9kg, and onboard atomic batteries with a power output of 420 watts. Additionally. both were launched into space from Pad LC41 at Cape Canaveral, Florida aboard Titan lIIE Centaur rockets. Voyager I collected valuable data from its near approaches to Jupiter and Saturn and several of their moons, while Voyager 2 collected similarly valuable data from Uranus and Neptune and several of their moons, as well. The Voyager probes have so far made possible many astounding discoveries, including; Saturn-like (although not as visibly prominent) rings around Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune; an atmosphere enveloping Triton, a moon of Neptune; volcanic activity on the surface of Io, a moon of Jupiter; and other discoveries that never would have been possible relying on Earth-based observation alone. After their respective launches, Voyager 1 and 2 proceeded on different courses into outer space. While Voyager I had been on a course that would have alIowed it to make a near approach of Pluto, its course input was changed so that it could make a near approach of Saturn moon Titan. instead.

At present (June 2012), Voyager 1 is now some 18 billion kilometers from the sun, moving away at a speed (relative to the sun's position) of 17.06km per second. Voyager 2 is now some 14.7 billion kilometers from the sun, moving away at a speed (relative to the sun's position) of 15.46km per second. Voyager 1 has long since garnered the record for "man-made object farthest from Earth" , and is scheduled to soon pass from our solar system to venture out into interstellar space.

Onboard both Voyager probes are gold-plated copper records titled "Sounds of Earth". Recorded on them are various sounds from nature, as well as greetings in 55 different languages. These recordings were attached to the Voyager probes in anticipation that they may someday be found and decoded
by intelligent extraterrestrial life.