The people behind the Voyager mission
Voyager's results were made by people who planned observations, checked images, studied instruments and kept the spacecraft working. These four stories show different parts of that work.
Ed Stone — bringing the science together
As Voyager project scientist, Ed Stone helped coordinate the mission's science teams and explain their results. He recalled daily meetings in which researchers tested what they had seen, what they thought it meant and what remained uncertain. He died in 2024; this is a historical account of his role.
Linda Morabito — noticing a plume on Io
While working on optical navigation, Linda Morabito identified a bright curved cloud above Io in a Voyager 1 image. It was the first observed active volcanic eruption beyond Earth. Careful review of an image made for navigation became a planetary discovery.
Linda Spilker — connecting instruments and scientists
Voyager was Linda Spilker's first job after college. She represented the infrared instrument team and later studied stellar occultations of Saturn's rings. Her account describes how a long paper plot of measurements revealed fine ring structure.
Don Gurnett — listening to plasma waves
Don Gurnett led the Plasma Wave Instrument team. Its electrical measurements helped determine the density of plasma around Voyager 1 and supported the conclusion that the probe entered interstellar space. The familiar playback of those measurements is not sound recorded by a microphone.