Dad led the team that built the RTG power plants ("Radioisotope Thermal Generator") that powered both Voyager spacecraft (initially named "Mariner Jupiter Saturn"). His power plants are still powering the spacecraft today, almost 50 years later!
Voyager 1 took its first high-resolution fly-by images of Saturn on November 12, 1980, during its closest approach to the planet at 77,000 miles. The spacecraft began capturing detailed images of Saturn, its rings, and moons as early as August 1980, with the highest-resolution images obtained during the November fly-by. Voyager 2 followed with its fly-by on August 25, 1981.
Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 are both still operating, though with significantly reduced functionality due to their age and diminishing power supplies.
Voyager 2 obtained the following high-resolution picture of Saturn's rings Aug. 22, 1981, when the spacecraft was 2.5 million miles away. Evident here are the numerous "spoke" features, in the B-ring; their very sharp, narrow appearance suggests short formation times. Scientists think electromagnetic forces are responsible in some way for these features, but no detailed theory has been worked out. Pictures such as this and analyses of Voyager 2's spoke movies may reveal more clues about the origins of these complex structures.
