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The voyagers were launched within very specific window iirc which is why they managed to get to the outer planets so quickly. Also the voyagers only did a flyby
by dogma1138 4y ago
The voyagers were launched within very specific window iirc which is why they managed to get to the outer planets so quickly. Also the voyagers only did a flyby so they could afford to go as fast as they want as they didn’t needed to enter orbit.
The length of time to get to Jupiter is pretty much dictated by orbital mechanics. As well as your ability to slow down and actually get into orbit instead of just doing a flyby.
So the longer journey is likely a combination of the launch vehicle, the cruise stage vehicle and how much fuel they want to dedicate into getting into orbit vs the mission since the probe is expected to visit multiple moons it’s likely that they prioritize the fuel for in mission orbit corrections so they are taking a longer and slower approach.
- exitb 4y agoWell, sure, the window was very specific to visit multiple planets, but Jupiter was the first stop. Similar Earth-Jupiter configuration happens every year.
- avar 4y agoThe ISS made a "stop" in my general vicinity earlier today by your definition of "stop".
- exitb 4y agoSorry, English it not my first language, I meant it as a first destination, it obviously just flew by.
- dogma1138 4y agoJupiter makes an orbit around the sun once every 12 years there likely are years where it is closer to earth than others. Also there are years when it’s retrograde and there are years when it’s prograde so there is that too. With Voyager it also wasn’t just Jupiter it was an alignment of all the planets which is far rarer. And again voyager didn’t entered orbit it had a very brief flyby of Jupiter. Cassini also took a decade to reach Saturn because it needed to enter orbit around it and its moons.