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Voyager 1&2 Vehicle Description

Voyager 1 Vehicle Description

SPACECRAFT:  VOYAGER 1


  Spacecraft Information
  ======================
    Launch Date                    : 1977-09-05
    Instrument Host Name           : VOYAGER 1
    Instrument Host Type           : SPACECRAFT

  Mission Information
  ===================
    Mission Start Date             : 1972-07-01
    Mission Stop Date              : UNK
    Mission Alias Name             : MJS77

  Targets
  =======
    IO
    DARK
    RHEA
    ROCK
    DIONE
    JANUS
    MIMAS
    TITAN
    HELENE
    SATURN
    TETHYS
    CALYPSO
    DIONE B
    JUPITER
    PANDORA
    S RINGS
    TELESTO
    CALLISTO
    GANYMEDE
    ENCELADUS
    EPIMETHEUS

  Instruments
  ===========
    INFRARED INTERFEROMETER SPECTROMETER AND RADIOMETER
    IMAGING SCIENCE SUBSYSTEM - NARROW ANGLE
    IMAGING SCIENCE SUBSYSTEM - WIDE ANGLE
    LOW ENERGY CHARGED PARTICLE
    FLUXGATE MAGNETOMETER
    PLASMA SCIENCE EXPERIMENT
    PLASMA WAVE RECEIVER

  Spacecraft Description
  ======================
    Reference is [Morrison, 1982]. 'The two identical Voyager
    spacecraft, each with a mass of 815 kilograms, are among
    the most autonomous, sophisticated robots ever sent to
    explore other worlds. Each is a self-contained system,
    carrying its own power, propulsion, communications systems,
    and science instruments. Communication between the
    spacecraft and Earth is carried out via a high-gain radio
    antenna 3.7 meters in diameter that is always oriented
    toward the Earth. The radio transmitters (there are two
    complete systems to provide backup in case of failure) have
    only 23 watts of transmitting power, about the power of a
    refrigerator light bulb. Yet with the aid of the sensitive
    receivers of the NASA Deep Space Network of tracking
    stations, this 23-watt radio can transmit data over a
    distance of 1 billion kilometers at the enormous rat of
    115200 bits per second, almost a hundred times faster than
    Pioneer. At the greater distance to Saturn, a lower data
    rate of 44800 bits per second was adopted. In addition, the
    Voyager spacecraft carried a digital tape recorder with a
    storage capacity of 500 million bits. The power for each
    Voyager spacecraft is supplied by three radioisotope
    thermoelectric generators (RTGs) that produce about 400
    watts of electrical power. Each spacecraft is controlled by
    a set of interconnected electronic brains called the
    attitude and articulation control subsystem (AACS), the
    flight data subsystem (FDS) and the computer command
    subsystem (CCS). Rather than being instructed directly by
    ground controllers (as were the pioneers), the Voyager
    control systems accept precoded sets of several thousand
    instructions that can provide autonomous operation for days
    or weeks at a time. These systems also include elaborate
    error detection and correction routines so the spacecrat
    can locate and correct problems before ground controllers
    are aware of them. The AACS, FDS, and CCS can be
    reprogrammed in flight if necessary, allowing great
    flexibility in responding to changing conditions or science
    objectives.'

  Platform Descriptions
  =====================

    Platform MAGNETOMETER BOOM
    --------------------------
      A 13-meter-long boom that was unfurled and extended
      automatically after launch

    Platform SCAN PLATFORM
    ----------------------
      The part of the Voyager spacecraft that carries the
      imaging, IRIS, ultraviolet, and photopolarimeter
      instruments. It can be pointed to any part of the sky by
      rotating around two axes (azimuth and elevation)

    Platform SCIENCE BOOM
    ---------------------
      The Voyager science instrument boom carries the plasma
      detector, cosmic ray detector and the low energy charged
      particle detector.

    Platform SPACECRAFT BUS
    -----------------------
      The basic structure of the spacecraft is called the 'bus',
      which carries the various engineering subsystems and
      scientific instruments.  It is like a large ten-sided box.
      The centerline of the bus is called the z-axis (and thus
      the High Gain Antenna) points to Earth.  The spacecraft is
      designed to roll about this axis by firing small thrusters
      which are attached to the bus.  The thrusters are fueled by
      a liquid called hydrazine.  Each of the ten sides of the bus
      contains a compartment (a bay) that houses various
      electronic assemblies.  Bay 1, for example, contains the
      radio transmitters.  The bays are numbered from 1 to 10
      (numbered clockwise as see from Earth).  Two additional turn
      axes, at right angles to the roll axis and to each other,
      are needed to give the spacecraft full maneuverability.
      These are the x-axis (pitch) and the y-axis (yaw).  The
      booms supporting the nuclear power sources and the scan
      platform lie along the y-axis.

  Reference
  =========
    Journal:          NASA PUBLICATION
    Publication Date: 1982
    Reference Key ID: MORRISON1982

    Authors
    -------
      DAVID MORRISON

    Citation
    --------
      `Voyages to Saturn', by David Morrison, NASA
      SP-451,Washington (1982).

  __________________________________________________________________________

Voyager 2 Vehicle Description

SPACECRAFT:  VOYAGER 2


  Spacecraft Information
  ======================
    Launch Date                    : 1977-08-20
    Instrument Host Name           : VOYAGER 2
    Instrument Host Type           : SPACECRAFT

  Mission Information
  ===================
    Mission Start Date             : 1972-07-01
    Mission Stop Date              : UNK
    Mission Alias Name             : MJS77

  Targets
  =======
    IO
    SKY
    DARK
    PUCK
    ROCK
    VEGA
    ARIEL
    JANUS
    ORION
    TITAN
    1989N1
    1989N2
    EUROPA
    HELENE
    OBERON
    PHOEBE
    PLAQUE
    SATURN
    TETHYS
    TRITON
    URANUS
    CALYPSO
    DIONE B
    IAPETUS
    JUPITER
    MIRANDA
    N RINGS
    NEPTUNE
    PANDORA
    S RINGS
    TELESTO
    TITANIA
    U RINGS
    UMBRIEL
    BETA CEN
    BETA CMA
    CALLISTO
    DARK SKY
    GANYMEDE
    HYPERION
    PLEIADES
    SCORPIUS
    ALPHA CEN
    ALPHA LEO
    ALPHA LYR
    ALPHA PAV
    CAL LAMPS
    ENCELADUS
    SIGMA SGR
    EPIMETHEUS
    SCAT LIGHT

  Instruments
  ===========
    COSMIC RAY SYSTEM
    INFRARED INTERFEROMETER SPECTROMETER AND RADIOMETER
    IMAGING SCIENCE SUBSYSTEM - NARROW ANGLE
    IMAGING SCIENCE SUBSYSTEM - WIDE ANGLE
    LOW ENERGY CHARGED PARTICLE
    TRIAXIAL FLUXGATE MAGNETOMETER
    PLASMA SCIENCE EXPERIMENT
    PLANETARY RADIO ASTRONOMY RECEIVER
    PLASMA WAVE RECEIVER

  Spacecraft Description
  ======================
    Reference is [Morrison, 1982]. 'The two identical Voyager
    spacecraft, each with a mass of 815 kilograms, are among
    the most autonomous, sophisticated robots ever sent to
    explore other worlds. Each is a self-contained system,
    carrying its own power, propulsion, communications systems,
    and science instruments. Communication between the
    spacecraft and Earth is carried out via a high-gain radio
    antenna 3.7 meters in diameter that is always oriented
    toward the Earth. The radio transmitters (there are two
    complete systems to provide backup in case of failure) have
    only 23 watts of transmitting power, about the power of a
    refrigerator light bulb. Yet with the aid of the sensitive
    receivers of the NASA Deep Space Network of tracking
    stations, this 23-watt radio can transmit data over a
    distance of 1 billion kilometers at the enormous rat of
    115200 bits per second, almost a hundred times faster than
    Pioneer. At the greater distance to Saturn, a lower data
    rate of 44800 bits per second was adopted. In addition, the
    Voyager spacecraft carried a digital tape recorder with a
    storage capacity of 500 million bits. The power for each
    Voyager spacecraft is supplied by three radioisotope
    thermoelectric generators (RTGs) that produce about 400
    watts of electrical power. Each spacecraft is controlled by
    a set of interconnected electronic brains called the
    attitude and articulation control subsystem (AACS), the
    flight data subsystem (FDS) and the computer command
    subsystem (CCS). Rather than being instructed directly by
    ground controllers (as were the pioneers), the Voyager
    control systems accept precoded sets of several thousand
    instructions that can provide autonomous operation for days
    or weeks at a time. These systems also include elaborate
    error detection and correction routines so the spacecrat
    can locate and correct problems before ground controllers
    are aware of them. The AACS, FDS, and CCS can be
    reprogrammed in flight if necessary, allowing great
    flexibility in responding to changing conditions or science
    objectives.'

  Platform Descriptions
  =====================

    Platform MAGNETOMETER BOOM
    --------------------------
      A 13-meter-long boom that was unfurled and extended
      automatically after launch

    Platform SCAN PLATFORM
    ----------------------
      The part of the Voyager spacecraft that carries the
      imaging, IRIS, ultraviolet, and photopolarimeter
      instruments. It can be pointed to any part of the sky by
      rotating around two axes (azimuth and elevation)

    Platform SCIENCE BOOM
    ---------------------
      The Voyager science instrument boom carries the plasma
      detector, cosmic ray detector and the low energy charged
      particle detector.

    Platform SPACECRAFT BUS
    -----------------------
      The basic structure of the spacecraft is called the 'bus',
      which carries the various engineering subsystems and
      scientific instruments.  It is like a large ten-sided box.
      The centerline of the bus is called the z-axis (and thus
      the High Gain Antenna) points to Earth.  The spacecraft is
      designed to roll about this axis by firing small thrusters
      which are attached to the bus.  The thrusters are fueled by
      a liquid called hydrazine.  Each of the ten sides of the bus
      contains a compartment (a bay) that houses various
      electronic assemblies.  Bay 1, for example, contains the
      radio transmitters.  The bays are numbered from 1 to 10
      (numbered clockwise as see from Earth).  Two additional turn
      axes, at right angles to the roll axis and to each other,
      are needed to give the spacecraft full maneuverability.
      These are the x-axis (pitch) and the y-axis (yaw).  The
      booms supporting the nuclear power sources and the scan
      platform lie along the y-axis.

  Reference
  =========
    Journal:          NASA PUBLICATION
    Publication Date: 1982
    Reference Key ID: MORRISON1982

    Authors
    -------
      DAVID MORRISON

    Citation
    --------
      `Voyages to Saturn', by David Morrison, NASA
      SP-451,Washington (1982).

  __________________________________________________________________________

Comments and questions: Jennifer Green
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