Why Voyager 1 Was Launched

Zooming far outside our solar system is a craft headed for interstellar space. This craft is called Voyager 1. Voyager 1, was launched to discover more about our solar system and possibly find alien life. NASA first began sending interstellar spacecraft in 1965. Since then, numerous probes have left Earth's orbit for deep space. Voyager 1 is one of those vessels. It was launched on Sept. 5th, 1977, from Cape Canaveral, Florida on board a Titan-C center rocket. The Voyagers where sent to survey the four gas giants Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Their task included revealing information and sending back data about these intriguing planets and their fascinating moons.

Voyager's sister probe, Voyager 2, was rocketed out to Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. To reach these far off planets the Voyager twins used a technique called, "gravity assist." Gravity assist is employed when a spacecraft nears a large piece of matter, such as a planet, an asteroid, a star or a spaceship. As it accelerates towards the large mass, it uses towards outer planets. Voyager 1 flew by Jupiter, not only to pick up speed, but to find the gravitational tug of the matter to pick up speed and zoom off out more about its moons and the turbulent planet.

As the Voyagers surveyed the planets and their moons they discovered countless remarkable finds. They identified a ring around Jupiter, explored what Saturn's rings are comprised of, and identified six unknown Neptunian moons.

Although Voyager 1 is called "Voyager 1," it was actually launched after Voyager 2. If Voyager 2 was to survey Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, it required gravity assistance from Jupiter to propel it outwards. Scientists awaited the alignment of Jupiter with Saturn