Mission timeline
From two launches and four giant planets to the first measurements beyond the heliopause.
Voyager 2 launches
Voyager 2 was the first of the pair to launch and headed toward the outer planets.
Voyager 1 launches
A faster trajectory brought Voyager 1 to Jupiter before its twin.
Voyager 1 at Jupiter
The close flyby returned detailed images of the planet and its moons, including active volcanoes on Io.
Voyager 2 at Jupiter
A second set of measurements expanded the mapping of the Jovian system.
Voyager 1 at Saturn
The Titan flyby deflected the spacecraft's trajectory out of the plane of the planets.
Voyager 2 at Saturn
The spacecraft continued along its unique trajectory toward Uranus.
First visit to Uranus
Voyager 2 remains the only spacecraft to have visited Uranus up close.
First visit to Neptune
The programme's final planetary encounter revealed Neptune's dynamic atmosphere and moons.
Pale Blue Dot
Voyager 1 looked back one last time and captured Earth as a fraction of a single pixel.
Voyager 1 in interstellar space
Measurements confirmed that the spacecraft had crossed the heliopause.
Voyager 2 in interstellar space
The second spacecraft crossed the heliopause in a different direction with a different set of measurements.
Voyager 2's PLS switched off
The plasma instrument was switched off to conserve power.
Voyager 1's LECP switched off
NASA switched off the low-energy charged particle experiment; PWS and MAG remain active.
Voyager 2's science mission extended
A power-saving adjustment extended the operation of three science instruments by at least another year.