For 45 years, NASA’s twin probes Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 have been exploring our solar system and beyond as they currently roam through interstellar space.Â
Despite its name Voyager 2 launched before Voyager 1, when it lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 41 aboard a Titan IIIE-Centaur on Aug. 20, 1977. Voyager 1 followed suit about two weeks later on Sept. 5.Â
While Voyager 1 primarily focused on Jupiter and Saturn, Voyager 2 visited both gas giants and then ventured on to Uranus and Neptune. But the duo didn’t stop there. Voyager 1 officially entered interstellar space on Aug. 25, 2012, while Voyager 2 entered on Nov. 5, 2018. The pair continue to journey through the cosmos and have enough power and fuel to keep scientific instruments running until at least 2025, according to NASA (opens in new tab).Â
Here we celebrate the achievements of both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 with some incredible images captured by the pair.Â
This image was taken when NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft zoomed toward Jupiter in January and February 1979, capturing hundreds of images during its approach, including this close-up of swirling clouds around Jupiter’s Great Red Spot.Â