The Voyager 1 and 2 space probes reached a new benchmark in space, as they crossed the boundary of the Heliosphere. For the first time we’re getting footage of a region called the interstellar medium (ISM) or the space between stars.
The Voyager probes began their journey in 1977, making them the longest active space probes in history. Throughout their journey they’ve documented Jupiter, Saturn, and Saturn's largest moon, Titan, studying the weather, magnetic fields, and rings of the planets and providing detailed images of their moons.
Voyager 1 became the first spacecraft to exit the solar system in 2012. Unfortunately, its plasma instruments went off line in 1980, leaving scientists without a clear picture of the region. Voyager 2 caught up with it, however, providing NASA with its first footage of the interstellar medium (ISM) .
The Voyagers are powered by radioisotope thermoelectric generators which conduct energy from radiation allowing them to transmit data all the way back to the planet earth. The generators are set to lose power by the year 2032, making the voyager mission close to an end.
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