Voyager 2 and the Grand Tour

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In 1964, engineers at NASA's jet propulsion laboratory noted that a rare alignment of four planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, would occur in the late 1970s, allowing an unprecedented opportunity to have a single spacecraft visit several planets. NASA began supporting a project to send spacecraft to take advantage of this alignment, calling the idea “The Grand Tour.” That program would eventually become the Voyager program- two extraordinary spacecraft that gave earthlings a better view of the outer planets of our solar system than ever before, and offered our first true glimpse of what is beyond that system.

This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.

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All events are portrayed in historical context and for educational purposes. No images or content are primarily intended to shock and disgust. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Non censuram.

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Script by THG

#history #thehistoryguy #Voyager

[_WillCAD_]

The sense of awe and wonder at the journeys of these two spacecraft cannot be overstated. Not only are they are mankind's first interstellar spacecraft, but the mere fact that they have been continuously operating for over forty years in such harsh environments is absolutely mind-boggling.

[alanwchase]

To put all this in perspective, when these launched, I was still a teen.Last week I retired.WOW!

[davidlogansr]

I was in High School when these amazing craft were in their final planning stages and actual construction, and now I am retired!

[mainiacpats]

I was 8 yo and reading and looking at sketches of their missions in my Nat Geo mags which my grandfather, may he Rest In Peace, gave me a subscription to as a gift. Your videos are now relighting my imagination. Thank you!

[robbabcock_]

BTW, I appreciate the fact that when you do accept advertisements they're for interesting products that actually interest you viewers!🙏👍

[emansnas]

Trivia Fact: All those involved in the Voyager program at all levels were given a log to sign. Those signatures were transferred to two microdots. Those microdots are now aboard Voyagers I and II traveling through interstellar space.

[benjaminstevens]

That “The Grand Tour” poster is amazing!

[blip]

This video is instantaneously excellent, for this reason:

I know what Voyager 2 is. I had no idea that there was actually an alignment of the planets, which played a key role in this.

That's less than 1 minute into this video! Now I'm up to "gravity assist", when submitting this comment.

10/10 video score. A+. Two thumbs up.

[stantheman]

I remember Carl Sagan promoting the Voyager missions on Johnny Carson and the launches occurring while I was still in high school. After college I found a book called The Grand Tour that highlighted the best of the photos and significant scientific achievements suitable for the general public’s consumption. Some time in the 1990s there was a multi-episode BBC series called The Planets that really put the entire project in a cohesive narrative, though as only part of mankind’s space exploration projects up to that time. A&E network reran that series to death back when they still produced educational programming in the mornings for schools to tap into if they wanted. Now we have our glorious The History Guy carrying the flame into the future. Space is indeed an endless and final frontier, while the knowledge, talent and effort it takes to explore it cannot be recognized enough. Thank you, History Guy, for yet another excellent presentation!

[BlueBaron]

Listed on the poster of Voyager's greatest hits was The Pale Blue Dot. In 1990, as Voyager I was reaching the edge of the solar system, Carl Sagan asked them to point the camera toward Earth. There was grumbling....what's Carl on about now some wondered, aloud. But the resulting image did indeed show the earth - as just a tiny, pale blue dot, putting our place in the solar system, and the universe, into proper perspective. It would have never occurred to NASA to do that but Carl Sagan was...unique.

[pamelamays]

History with a little science thrown in. Brilliant!🤗

[aaronleverton]

The late '70s/early '80s. My dad bought a telescope. My parents woke me up to watch Skylab fall to earth and also to see four planets in one night. The rings of Saturn were amazing through that backyard telescope.

[pdoylemi]

Maybe because I am a space geek, I can't see this as "forgotten history", but I'll bet it is for most.

[JohnPaul-ii]

In 1980 Cosmos, a thirteen-part television series hosted by Carl Sagan had wonderful coverage of the Voyager missions
Certainly living through interesting times, 1960 to present day.

[DavidWGould]

I saw them launch living in Cocoa Florida. That was a fantastic recap of the mission. Thank you.

[ninjaskeleton]

Fantastic video. Makes me pine for Carl Sagan though, he died way too young.

[hms_thunderchild]

Always a good day when this channel uploads a video 🙌

[michaelwatson]

This is a testament to the teachers, professors, enginers, technicians, mathematicians, scie tests, and others in many disciplines who worked hard and worked smart to achieve these results. These people lived through two world wars and the Great Despression as well as personal adversity and yet got past that to build a legacy that endures even now.

[CmdrKeene]

At the 13 minutes mark I literally got chills and felt emotional. This is just absolutely incredible human achievement and even though I wasn't even born until the second half of the 80s I have such a deep emotional response to this

[marstondavis]

The Voyager mission has always fascinated me. Every so often there would be a report on the news that these two little probes would achieve some great new wonders in space. I always loved knowing they were hard at work, doing some amazing things. Then no news for a few years. Then, after a while, a new report. It almost seemed like a friend, I hadn't seen in a while, stopping by to share his latest adventures with me. Thanks History Guy. I sat here with a stupid grin on my face during the entire video.