NOTE TO EDITORS: This f a c t s h e e t o u t l i n e s t h e mission

and b a s i c s c i e n t i f i c r a t i o n a l e f o r Voyager. I t i s sug-

g e s t e d t h a t it be r e t a i n e d i n your f i l e s f o r f u t u r e
reference.

For F u r t h e r I n f o r m a t i o n :

Nicholas Panagakos
H e a d q u a r t e r s , Washington, D.C.
(Phone: 202/755-36 8 0 )

Frank B r i s t o w
J e t P r o p u l s i o n L a b o r a t o r y , Pasadena, C a l i f .
(Phone: 213/354-5011)

RELEASE NO: 77-114

 VOYAGER

The N a t i o n a l A e r o n a u t i c s and Space A d m i n i s t r a t i o n w i l l

l a u n c h t w o Voyager s p a c e c r a f t i n l a t e summer 1 9 7 7 f o r a n ex-
t e n s i v e r e c o n n a i s s a n c e of t h e o u t e r p l a n e t s .
R i d i n g a t o p a T i t a n C e n t a u r r o c k e t , t h e Voyagers w i l l
be l a u n c h e d from Kennedy Space C e n t e r , F l a . , on a d e c a d e -
l o n g o d y s s e y t h a t c o u l d t a k e them t o a s many a s 1 5 major
heavenly bodies.

These i n c l u d e g i a n t J u p i t e r and r i n g e d S a t u r n and

s e v e r a l moons o f b o t h p l a n e t s , p r o b a b l y Uranus and p o s s i b l y
Neptune.

The i n f o r m a t i o n r e t u r n e d by t h e s p a c e c r a f t i s e x p e c t e d
t o s h e d new l i g h t on t h e o r i g i n and e a r l y h i s t o r y o f t h e
s o l a r s y s t e m and o u r own p l a n e t E a r t h .

Vovaaer Next S t e r , t o S t u d v O u t e r P l a n e t s

NASA h a s a l r e a d y s e n t s p a c e c r a f t t o Venus, Mercury, J u p i t e r

and Mars. P r o j e c t Voyager i s t h e n e x t s t e p i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s
program o f s y s t e m a t i c p l a n e t a r y e x p l o r a t i o n i n which t h e s o l a r
system i s used a s a n a t u r a l l a b o r a t o r y .

The o u t e r r e q i o n of t h e s o l a r s y s t e m i s c o n s i d e r e d t h e
s o u r c e o f much i m p o r t a n t d a t a a b o u t t h e Sun and i t s p l a n e t s .
The i n n e r p l a n e t s -- Mercury, Venus, E a r t h and Mars -- have
gone t h r o u g h c o n s i d e r a b l e e v o l u t i o n i n t h e l a s t f o u r t o f i v e
b i l l i o n years. Today w e w i t n e s s a t t h e i r s u r f a c e s and i n t h e i r
atmospheres t h e end r e s u l t o f long e v o l u t i o n a r y p r o c e s s e s . In
t h e case o f t h e o u t e r p l a n e t s and t h e i r moons, m a i n l y b e c a u s e
of t h e l o w t e m p e r a t u r e t h a t p r e v a i l e d i n t h e p a s t of t h e s o l a r
s y s t e m , w e c a n s t i l l f i n d o b j e c t s where e v o l u t i o n h a s b e e n so
s l o w t h a t t o d a y c o n d i t i o n s a r e n o t so v e r y d i f f e r e n t from what
they w e r e a t t h e t i m e of formation. By e x p l o r i n g t h e o u t e r
p l a n e t s , w e c a n go back i n t i m e and s a m p l e t h e c o n d i t i o n s from
which t h e Sun and t h e p l a n e t s a r e b e l i e v e d t o have condensed.

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O u t e r P l a n e t s Have Manv S a t e l l i t e s

J u p i t e r and S a t u r n are d r a s t i c a l l y d i f f e r e n t f r o m t h e
t e r r e s t r i a l p l a n e t s , a p p e a r i n g t o be composed p r i m a r i l y of
hydrogen and helium. J u p i t e r i s larger t h a n a l l t h e o t h e r
p l a n e t s i n t h e s o l a r system combined. J u p i t e r has 1 3 o r 1 4
known s a t e l l i t e s ( t h e r e c e n t l y d i s c o v e r e d 1 4 t h h a s n o t y e t
been c o n f i r m e d ) . J u p i t e r o r b i t s t h e Sun more t h a n f i v e t i m e s
f a r t h e r away t h a n E a r t h . One J o v i a n y e a r e q u a l s a b o u t 12
Earth years. J u p i t e r ' s day i s a b o u t 1 0 h o u r s long.

S a t u r n o r b i t s t h e Sun almost 1 0 t i m e s as f a r away a s

E a r t h , c o m p l e t i n g one o r b i t e v e r y 30 E a r t h y e a r s . A day on
S a t u r n i s a l s o a b o u t 1 0 h o u r s long. Telescopic observations
of S a t u r n ' s r i n g s a r e ' d a z z l i n g . The w i d e s t v i s i b l e
r i n g h a s an o u t e r r a d i u s of 1 3 7 , 0 0 0 kilometers ( 8 5 , 0 0 0 m i l e s ) .
S a t u r n has more t h a n 1 0 s a t e l l i t e s , i n c l u d i n g t h e l a r g e s t ,
T i t a n , which h a s an a t m o s p h e r i c d e n s i t y comparable t o t h a t
of E a r t h .

T r a j e c t o r i e s , Speeds D i f f e r

P l a n s c a l l f o r t h e f i r s t launched Voyager t o f l y a s l o w e r
t r a j e c t o r y , a l l o w i n g t h e second s p a c e c r a f t -- launched a b o u t
12 d a y s l a t e r -- t o o v e r t a k e i t and r e a c h J u p i t e r a b o u t f o u r
months e a r l i e r . J u p i t e r ' s g r a v i t y w i l l s l i n g s h o t t h e Voyagers
toward t h e r i n g e d p l a n e t S a t u r n , w i t h t h e t w o s p a c e c r a f t
r e a c h i n g S a t u r n a b o u t n i n e months a p a r t .

Photography of J u p i t e r w i l l b e g i n i n December 1 9 7 8 , 8 0
d a y s b e f o r e t h e f i r s t Voyager r e a c h e s t h e p l a n e t . A t that
t i m e , images of t h e b r i g h t l y banded p l a n e t w i l l a l r e a d y exceed
t h e r e s o l u t i o n of Earth-based photographs. For a b o u t t w o
months photography w i l l b e c o n t i n u e d w i t h t h e s p a c e c r a f t ' s
narrow-angle camera, which has a 1,500mm f o c a l - l e n g t h l e n s .
I n l a t e F e b r u a r y , e i g h t d a y s from J u p i t e r , Voyager w i l l b e g i n
coverage of t h e e n t i r e p l a n e t w i t h i t s wide-angle camera (200mm
f o c a l l e n g t h ) , w h i l e t h e narrow-angle i n s t r u m e n t p r o v i d e s .
h i g h - r e s o l u t i o n photography of selected f e a t u r e s of J u p i t e r ' s
clouds. A t t h e same t i m e , t h e i n f r a r e d and u l t r a v i o l e t spec-
t r o m e t e r s and t h e photopolarimeter w i l l be o b t a i n i n g d a t a on
a t m o s p h e r i c c o m p o s i t i o n , t e m p e r a t u r e v a r i a t i o n i n t h e atmos-
p h e r e and a e r o s o l s i n t h e c l o u d s .

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P l a n e t s ' Moons t o G e t Close Look

S h o r t l y b e f o r e closest approach t o J u p i t e r -- on March 5 ,
1979 -- Voyager 1 w i l l f l y a b o u t 415,000 km (258,000 m i . ) from
Amalthea, g i v i n g s c i e n t i s t s t h e i r f i r s t close l o o k a t t h e
innermost of J u p i t e r ' s satellites. Closest approach t o J u p i t e r
w i l l b e 3.9 r a d i i (RJ) from t h e s u r f a c e o f t h e p l a n e t ( a b o u t
280,000 km o r 1 1 0 , 0 0 0 m i . ) . J u p i t e r w i l l o c c u l t t h e Sun and
E a r t h , a s s e e n by i n s t r u m e n t s on t h e s p a c e c r a f t , a l l o w i n g
s c i e n t i s t s t o make p r e c i s e measurements o f t h e s t r u c t u r e and
composition o f i t s atmosphere.

A f t e r p a s s i n g J u p i t e r , t h e f i r s t Voyager w i l l examine a l l
four of t h e b i g Galilean satellites: Io f r o m 2 2 , 0 0 0 k m ( 1 4 , 0 0 0
m i . ) , Europa from 733,000 krn ( 4 5 5 , 0 0 0 m i . ) and Ganymede and
C a l l i s t o from a b o u t 1 2 0 , 0 0 0 km ( 7 4 , 0 0 0 m i . ) . O b s e r v a t i o n s of
J u p i t e r w i l l c o n t i n u e f o r a b o u t a month a f t e r c l o s e s t a p p r o a c h ,
u n t i l e a r l y A p r i l 1979.

The s e c o n d Voyager will b e g i n i t s o b s e r v a t o r y p h a s e about

t w o weeks l a t e r , a g a i n 80 d a y s b e f o r e c l o s e s t a p p r o a c h . It
w i l l o b s e r v e f o u r s a t e l l i t e s d u r i n g t h e inbound l e g : C a l l i s t o
from 2 2 0 , 0 0 0 km (136,000 m i , ) , Ganymede from 5 5 , 0 0 0 km ( 3 4 , 0 0 0
m i . ) , Europa from 2 0 1 , 0 0 0 km ( 1 2 5 , 0 0 0 m i . ) and Amalthea from
5 5 0 , 0 0 0 km (342,000 m i . ) .

Encounters Scheduled

Closest approach t o J u p i t e r w i l l occur J u l y 1 0 , 1979.

The s p a c e c r a f t , f o l l o w i n g a m o r e d i s t a n t p a t h t h a n i t s p r e -
d e c e s s o r , w i l l p a s s 643,000 km (399,000 m i . ) from t h e c e n t e r
of t h e p l a n e t . The J u p i t e r e n c o u n t e r p e r i o d w i l l c o n t i n u e
i n t o August.
The f i r s t S a t u r n e n c o u n t e r w i l l b e g i n i n August 1980 and
w i l l c o n t i n u e t h r o u g h December. On t h e inbound l e g , Voyager
w i l l p a s s w i t h i n 4 , 0 0 0 km ( 2 , 5 0 0 m i . ) o f t h e s u r f a c e of t h e
major s a t e l l i t e T i t a n . During t h e e n c o u n t e r it w i l l a150 scan
t h e s a t e l l i t e s T e t h y s , M i m a s , E n c c l a d u s , Dione and Rhea a s
w e l l as o b s e r v e c l o s e l y t h e r i n g s o f S a t u r n . C l o s e s t a p p r o a c h
t o Saturn -- 209,300 km ( 1 3 0 , 0 0 0 m i . ) -- w i l l o c c u r Nov. 1 2 ,
1980. T i t a n , S a t u r n and t h e r i n g s w i l l o c c u l t t h e Sun and t h e
E a r t h as seen by i n s t r u m e n t s on t h e s p a c e c r a f t ,

Second S a t u r n e n c o u n t e r w i l l b e g i n i n J u n e 1 9 8 1 . C l o s e s t
a p p r o a c h t o S a t u r n w i l l occur Aug. 2 7 , 1981. The s p a c e c r a f t
w i l l a l s o o b s e r v e s i x s a t e l l i t e s and S a t u r n ' s r i n g s . Encounter
w i l l c o n t i n u e t h r o u g h September 1981.

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The Voyager spacecraft each weigh 810 kilograms (1,785

pounds). The scientific instruments weigh a total of 105 kg
(231 lb.) for each spacecraft. The new Voyager spacecraft
differ from past planetary Mariner spacecraft, due primarily
to the environment into which they will venture and the great
distance across which they must communicate with Earth. Since
the outer planets receive only a small fraction of the sunlight
that strikes Earth and Mars, the Voyagers cannot depend on
solar energy but must use nuclear power -- radioisotope thermo-
electric generators. Another obvious difference is the large
antenna: the antenna on the Voyager spacecraft is 3.7 meters
(12 feet) in diameter.

Onboard Instruments Listed

Each Voyager will use 10 instruments and the spacecraft
radio to study the planets, their satellites, the rings of
Saturn, the magnetospheres surrounding the planets and inter-
planetary space.
In addition to wide-angle and narrow-angle television
cameras, the Voyagers carry cosmic-ray detectors, infrared
spectrometers and radiometers, low-energy charged-particle
detectors, magnetometers, photopolarimeters, planetary radio-
astronomy instruments, plasma and plasma wave experiments
and ultraviolet spectrometers.
The television cameras are expected to provide scientists
with the best pictures of Jupiter and Saturn ever obtained and
the first high-resolution close-up images of the Galilean
satellites of Jupiter, the major satellites of Saturn and
Saturn's rings.
Other instruments will probe the atmospheres of the.
planets and satellites, their magnetospheres and the inter-
actions between these regions and the solar wind, radio bursts
from Jupiter (which emits the strongest radio noise in our sky
except the Sun). Other objectives include occultation of
Earth and Sun by the planets, Saturn's rings and Titan, all-
sky surveys of interplanetary space and location and definition
of the heliosphere or boundary of the solar wind.
Trajectories C a r e f u l l y Chosen
Trajectories were carefully chosen to provide not only
good scientific information about the planets, but also about
their satellites.

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I o , Europa, Ganymede and C a l l i s t o -- J u p i t e r ' s G a l i l e a n

s a t e l l i t e s -- and T i t a n q u a l i f y a s o b j e c t s f o r c l o s e s t u d y
i n t h e i r own r i g h t . They r a n g e from l a r q e r t h a n t h e p l a n e t
Mercury down t o t h e s i z e of E a r t h ' s ffoon; T i t a n i s t h e o n l y
s a t e l l i t e i n t h e s o l a r s y s t e m known t o h a v e a n a p p r e c i a b l e
atmosphere.

The Voyager t r a j e c t o r i e s make u s e of t h e f a v o r a b l e o u t e r

p l a n e t a l i g n m e n t i d e n t i f i e d d u r i n g p r o p o s e d Grand Tour m i s s i o n
s t u d i e s t o a c h i e v e f l y b y s of b o t h J u p i t e r and S a t u r n . The
m o s t favorable o p p o r t u n i t y f o r a close approach t o J u p i t e r
w i t h r e l a t i v e l y short f l i g h t t i m e s t o Saturn (less than four
y e a r s ) i s t h e 1 9 7 7 l a u n c h window.

The m i s s i o n a l s o b u i l d s on i n f o r m a t i o n g a t h e r e d a b o u t
J u p i t e r by t h e P i o n e e r 1 0 and 11 s p a c e c r a f t -- p a r t i c u l a r l y
a b o u t J u p i t e r ' s magnetosphere.

Uranus F l y b y O p t i o n a l

NASA o f f i c i a l s have a n o p t i o n t o s e n d t h e s e c o n d Voyager

s p a c e c r a f t on t o t h e p l a n e t U r a n u s , w i t h e n c o u n t e r o c c u r r i n g
i n January 1986. The Uranus o p t i o n w i l l b e e x e r c i s e d o n l y i f
p r i m a r y S a t u r n s c i e n c e o b j e c t i v e s h a v e been m e t by t h e f i r s t
s p a c e c r a f t and t h e o p e r a t i n g h e a l t h o f t h e s e c o n d w a r r a n t s
such an u n d e r t a k i n g . There i s a l s o a p o s s i b i l i t y -- because
of t h e a l i g n m e n t o f t h e o u t e r p l a n e t s -- t h a t t h e s e c o n d
s p a c e c r a f t c o u l d be t a r g e t e d t o c o n t i n u e on t o Neptune a f t e r
i t s encounter with Saturn.
Both s p a c e c r a f t w i l l e v e n t u a l l y e s c a p e from t h e s o l a r
system a f t e r t h e y have completed t h e i r e n c o u n t e r s w i t h t h e
g i a n t sister planets. They w i l l be t r a c k e d by r a d i o f r o m
E a r t h a s l o n g a s p o s s i b l e t o o b t a i n s c i e n c e d a t a on t h e h e l i o -
s p h e r e , p a r t i c u l a r l y t o s t u d y i n t e r a c t i o n s between s o l a r and
cosmic r a d i a t i o n .
Tracking F a c i l i t i e s

A f t e r l a u n c h , t r a c k i n g and d a t a a c q u i s i t i o n w i l l be p e r -
formed by t h e Deep S p a c e Network w i t h s t a t i o n s i n C a l i f o r n i a ,
A u s t r a l i a and S p a i n . A t p l a n e t e n c o u n t e r , h i g h r a t e d a t a w i l l
b e r e c e i v e d t h r o u g h t h e DSN's 64-rn ( 2 1 0 - f t . ) a n t e n n a s u b n e t .
Maximum d a t a r a t e a t J u p i t e r i s 115,000 b i t s p e r s e c o n d ; a t
S a t u r n it i s 4 4 , 0 0 0 .

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The Voyager program is managed by NASA's Office of Space

Science, Washington, D.C. Project management responsibility
has been assigned to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena,
Calif., which is managed for NASA by the California Institute
of Technology. JPL designed, developed and built the two
spacecraft.
Launch vehicle responsibility has been assigned to NASA's
Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio. Prime contractors to
Lewis are Martin Marietta Corp., Denver, Colo. (the Titan),
and General Dynamics/Convair, San Diego, Calif. (the Centaur).
Tracking, communications and mission operations are con-
ducted by JPL, which operates the Deep Space Network for NASA's
Office of Tracking and Data Acquisition.
The spacecraft's radioisotope thermoelectric generators
are provided to NASA by the Energy Research and Development
Administration. Prime contractor to ERDA is General Electric.
Co., Space Division, Philadelphia, Pa.
Cost of, the Voyager project, exclusive of launch vehicles
and launch operations and tracking and data acquisition, is
estimated at $ 3 4 6 million. Launch vehicles for the mission
will cost $71.6 million; and tracking and data acquisition,
$32.7 million.

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 Experiment Principal Investigator Instruments and Functions
Imaging Science Team Leader, Bradford Smith Two TV cameras with 1,5OOmm, f/8.5
University of Arizona, and 200mm, f/2 optics, multiple
Tucson filters, variable shutter speeds
and scan rates. Wide-angle field
of view, 5 6 x 55 millirad (about
3 degrees square). On scan plat-
form.
-.
Infrared Interferometer Rudolf Hanel Spectrometer-radiometer measuring
Spectrometer Goddard Space Flight temperatures and molecular gas
Center compositions, with narrow, 1/4-
degree field of view, producing
measurements every 48 seconds; on
scan platform.
Ultraviolet Spectrometer A. Lyle Broadfoot Grating spectrometer measuring ion,
Kitt Peak National atomic, and small-molecular gas I
P
Observatory abundances; spectral range 400- I-J
1600 angstroms; on scan platform, I

Photopolarimeter Charles Lillie Telescope with variable apertures:

University of Colorado filters, polarization analyzers and
Proof Test Model (PTM) detector; on
scan platform.
Plasma Herbert Bridge Dual plasma detectors, one aligned
Massachusetts Institute toward Earth/Sun and one perpen-
of Technology dicular, with detection ranges from
4v to 6kv.
Energy Charged Particles S. M. Krimigis Dual rotating solid-state detector
Johns Hopkins Applied sets, covering various ranges from
Physics Laboratory 10 kev to more than 30 Mev/nucleon.

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Experiment Principal Investigator I n s t r u m e n t s and F u n c t i o n s

C o s m i c Ray F. Vogt High-energy, low-energy and

C a l i f o r n i a I n s t i t u t e of e l e c t r o n t e l e s c o p e systems u s i n g
Technology a r r a y s of solid-state d e t e c t o r s ,
s e v e r a l r a n g e s from 0 . 1 5 t o 500
Mev/nucleon.
Magnetometer Norman N e s s Two low-f i e l d t r i a x i a l f l u x g a t e
Goddard Space F l i g h t C e n t e r magnetometers l o c a t e d r o u g h l y 10m
( 3 3 f t . ) from s p a c e c r a f t on boom,
two h i g h - f i e l d ( 2 0 g a u s s ) i n s t r u -
m e n t s mounted o n s p a c e c r a f t .
P l a n e t a r y Radio J a m e s Warwick TWO 1 0 - m ( 3 3 - f t . ) whip a n t e n n a s and
Astronomy U n i v e r s i t y of Colorado two-band receiver (20.4-1300 kHz,
2.3-40.5 MHz) , d e t e c t i n g p l a n e t a r y
r a d i o e m i s s i o n s and b u r s t s and
solar/stellar bursts.
I
Plasma F r e d e r i c k L. S c a r f U s e s 10-m ( 3 3 - f t . ) p l a n e t a r y r a d i o
TRW Systems Group a s t r o n m i y a n t e n n a s w i t h step I
f r e q u e n c y d e t e c t o r and waveform
a n a l y z e r t o measure plasma w a v e s ,
t h e r m a l plasma d e n s i t y p r o f i l e a t
J u p i t e r and S a t u r n , s a t e l l i t e /
m a g n e t o s p h e r e i n t e r a c t i o n s , wave/
particle interactions.

Radio S c i e n c e T e a m L e a d e r , Von R. Eshleman Uses s p a c e c r a f t S-band/X-band

Stanford University links during planet, satellite
and S a t u r n r i n g o c c u l t a t i o n s t o
p e r c e i v e changes i n r e f r a c t i v i t y
and a b s o r p t i o n ; c e l e s t i a l m e c h a n i c s
i n f o r m a t i o n c a l c u l a t e d from
tracking data.

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