Voyager at 45: What’s aboard the spacecrafts & the photos they took

Voyager spacecrafts — deep-space probes by the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) — are gradually being switched off after 45 years of exploration. Photo of voyager. Source: NASA

Voyager 1 was launched on September 5, 1977 from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, two weeks after Voyager 2. Photo of the Voyager initial system test at the station, by NASA.

An archival photo of a scientist constructing a large, dish-shaped high-gain antenna for the spacecrafts. The scene was photographed on July 9, 1976 and was sourced from NASA / JPL-Caltech photo journal.

A digital 8-track tape recorded aboard the Voyager explorers. Photo: NASA / JPL-Caltech

The two spacecrafts have gone the farthest in interstellar space and been there the longest than any other space mission. Voyager 1 began its fly-by of Jupiter in January 1979 and Voyager 2 in early April the same year. They sent valuable information about the planet and its moons. Photo: One of the 33,000 photographs of Jupiter and its two moons captured by Voyager probes. Source: NASA

The Voyager 1 and 2 Saturn encounters occurred nine months apart, in November 1980 and August 1981, according to NASA. The spacecrafts studied structures and characteristics of the planets and its famed rings, among other things. Photo: A false colour view of Saturn. Source: NASA A false-colour image of Saturn C-ring and B-ring with ringlets captured on August 23, 1981. Source and caption: NASA

Voyager 2 ventured close to Uranus in January 1986 and sent back information about “its moons, rings, atmosphere, interior and the magnetic environment surrounding the planet”, according to NASA. Photo: False-colour image from NASA gallery