Back in Time is ED’s newspaper-like column that reports an incident from the past as though it has happened just yesterday. It allows the reader to re-live it several years later, on the date it had occurred.
The space probe Voyager 1 was launched on 5 Sep, 1977 by NASA. Launched just 16 days after Voyager 2, the Voyager Program is on a mission to inspect the Solar System.
Weighing in at 825.5 kg (1,820 lb), the primary objective of launching Voyager 1 is to conduct flybys of Jupiter, Saturn, and Saturn’s largest moon, Titan.
Saturn Flyby
It is with great happiness that we report that following its successful Jupiter flyby last year, Voyager 1 achieved its Saturn flyby yesterday, on 12 Nov, 1980.
This is a great achievement for NASA and humankind at large, as Voyager 1 is only the third ever artificial object to exit the Solar System.
To achieve the escape velocity needed for this feat is nothing short of a miracle of science and technology.
The Timeline
Here is a detailed timeline of the Saturn observation phase of Voyager 1’s journey:
12 Nov, 1980:
- Flyby of Saturn’s moon Titan achieved at 6,490 km at 05:41:21 hrs.
- Flyby of Saturn’s moon Tethys achieved at 22:16:32 hrs.
- Voyager 1 achieved its closest approach to Saturn at 1,84,300 km from the centre of mass at 23:46:30 hrs.
13 Nov, 1980:
- Flyby of Saturn’s moon Mimas achieved at 88,440 km at 01:43:12 hrs.
- Flyby of Saturn’s moon Enceladus achieved at 202,040 km at 01:51:16 hrs.
- Flyby of Saturn’s moon Hyperion achieved at 8,80,440 km at 16:44:41 hrs.
These are all the updates we have so far.
The Saturn observation phase of Voyager 1 is expected to conclude tomorrow, following which it will embark on an extended mission.
The Jupiter flyby achieved last year followed by the latest news of the Saturn flyby have proven that Voyager 1 is indeed a remarkable invention of science, sending home essential data required for a better understanding of our Solar System.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Wikipedia, The Times of India
Find the author online at: @samyukthanair_
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