return to Voyager topstory page Together, Voyager 1 and 2 have a
mighty impressive résumé. Originally meant to investigate the
atmospheres, magnetospheres, satellites and ring systems of
Jupiter and Saturn, between them, the dynamic duo eventually
explored all of the giant outer planets of our solar system, 48
of their moons and the unique systems and magnetic fields those
planets possess. By 1989, the two spacecraft had returned five
trillion bits of scientific data. Since 1990, the two Voyagers
have been expanding our knowledge about the region of space
beyond the orbits of Neptune and Pluto, even as they search for
the point where the Sun's influence no longer dominates. As
though these tasks weren't impressive enough, Voyager 1 is
expanding its résumé to one of a galactic nature. Built to last
a mere five years, this spacecraft is now the most distant
human-made object in the Universe and will continue to return
important scientific data until its electrical power and
thruster fuel are exhausted in 2020.