NASA restores contact with Voyager 2; Check key dates and groundbreaking achievements

After a hiatus, Voyager 2 spacecraft has finally reconnected with NASA. After the flight controller corrected a major mistake which led to the silence, NASA was able to communicate with its 46-year-old Voyager 2 spacecraft. The Voyager stopped communicating with NASA two weeks ago due to a wrong command sent by controllers to the spacecraft. 

The Voyager 2 has entered a whopping 199 crore kilometres into interstellar space. The spacecraft is considered the second spacecraft which has entered interstellar space. Back on December 01, 2018, the Voyager 2 joined its twin Voyager 1 as the human-made object which has managed to enter the space between the stars. The main objective of Voyager 2 is to flyby Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. 

Voyager 2 was launched on Aug. 20, 1977 / 14:29:44 UT and its launch site was Cape Canaveral, Fla. / Launch Complex 41. The mass of the spacecraft is 1,592 pounds (721.9 kilograms) and the mission design and management is done by NASA. 

NASA Voyager 2 Key Dates 

Take a look at all the important dates of NASA's Voyager 2 journey. 

• Aug. 20, 1977: Launch of Voyager 2
• July 9, 1979: Voyager 2 flyby Jupiter
• Aug. 26, 1981: Voyager 2 flyby Saturn
• Jan. 24, 1986: Voyager 2 flyby Uranus
• Aug. 25, 1989: Voyager 2 flyby Neptune
• Dec. 10, 2018: Entered interstellar space
• July 8, 2019: Voyager 2 successfully fired its trajectory correction manoeuvre thrusters
• NASA's Voyager 2 Firsts 

Check all the first which achieved by NASA's Voyager 2

• Voyager 2 is the only spacecraft to have ever visited each of our solar system's four gas giant planets including Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
• Voyager 2 was the first man-made object to fly past Neptune.
• Voyager 2 discovered Jupiter's 14th  moon.
• As the first human-made object to fly past Uranus, Voyager 2 made history.
• In addition to five moons and four rings around Neptune, Voyager 2 discovered the "Great Dark Spot."
• There were also two new rings and ten new moons found by Voyager 2 at Uranus.