Is Voyager 1 passed Pluto?

Both Voyagers flew beyond the orbit of Pluto/Neptune in 1989, but neither flew by Pluto, which was elsewhere in its orbit at the time. It was never planned that the Voyagers would visit Pluto. The original mission of Voyager was to explore Jupiter and Saturn.

Why did Voyager not go to Pluto?

The two probes of the Voyager program, launched in 1977 to explore Jupiter and Saturn, also had the ability for an extended mission to other targets. After a Neptune encounter, the alignment of Pluto made it impossible for Voyager 2 to continue there, leaving it on a trajectory out of the Solar System.

Is Voyager 1 farther than Pluto?

The twin Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft are exploring where nothing from Earth has flown before. Continuing on their over-40-year journey since their 1977 launches, they each are much farther away from Earth and the sun than Pluto. The primary mission was the exploration of Jupiter and Saturn. …

How long did it take for Voyager 1 to reach Pluto?

Do a little math and you’ll find that it has taken 9 years, 5 months and 25 days. The Voyager spacecraft did the distance between Earth and Pluto in about 12.5 years, although, neither spacecraft actually flew past Pluto. And the Pioneer spacecraft completed the journey in about 11 years.

How successful were the two Voyager missions to Pluto?

The two Voyager missions had the success criteria of just one of them reaching Saturn, which they far exceeded. After Voyager 2 successfully returned data from Neptune in 1989, planetary scientists looked to Pluto as the destination for a subsequent mission. In 1992, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) proposed the Pluto Fast Flyby mission.

Why didn’t New Horizons ever go to Pluto?

That choice made Pluto impossible by vaulting Voyager 1 from the orbital plane. Interestingly, Voyager 2, which couldn’t reach Pluto, made the case for New Horizons by revealing Neptune’s moon Triton as a kidnapped Pluto. “I’m very glad that they chose not to go to Pluto in 1986,” says New Horizons head Alan Stern.

Why did NASA build the twin Voyager spacecrafts?

Flash Modin writes: NASA built the twin Voyager spacecraft for a rare planetary alignment that put Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune within reach at once. Originally, Voyager 1 was programmed to see Pluto in 1986, but managers targeted Saturn’s planet-like moon Titan instead.

How many outer planets did Voyager 2 explore?

All four outer planets were explored by Voyager 2, launched in 1977, with close approaches to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. After a Neptune encounter, the alignment of Pluto made it impossible for Voyager 2 to continue there, leaving it on a trajectory out of the Solar System.