Rare Alignment of Technology and Timing Captured Voyager 2 Launch on Television
PASADENA, CA – August 20, 2023 – A confluence of technological advancements and lucky timing resulted in what many consider the best-timed shot in television history: the live broadcast of Voyager 2’s launch on August 20, 1977.The event marked a pivotal moment in space exploration and a remarkable feat for broadcast journalism, showcasing the dawn of a new era in both fields.
Voyager 2, launched by NASA 16 days before its twin Voyager 1, embarked on a trajectory designed for extended encounters with the outer planets. While both probes were groundbreaking, Voyager 2 uniquely visited all four gas and ice giants – Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune – becoming the only spacecraft to ever explore the ice giants.
The launch itself was captured with unprecedented clarity thanks to advancements in camera technology and the expanding network of NASA’s Deep Space Network. James Burke, then BBC television’s science anchorman and chief reporter for the Apollo missions, led the BBC’s coverage of the launch, including the first moon landing in 1969. Burke’s experience and the BBC’s commitment to science broadcasting were instrumental in delivering the event to a global audience.
“Capturing the launch was the best timing in TV history,” reflecting the rare possibility to showcase such a monumental achievement live as it unfolded.Burke also reported on the Apollo missions and hosted science series like tomorrow’s World and The Burke special, further establishing his reputation for accessible science interaction.
As of March 30, 2023, Voyager 2 has been operating for 45 years, 7 months, and 9 days, traveling 133.14 AU (12.376 billion miles) from Earth. It entered interstellar space on November 5, 2018, at a distance of 122 AU (11.3 billion miles; 18.3 billion km) from the Sun, joining Voyager 1 in providing the first direct measurements of the interstellar medium. The probe continues to transmit data back to Earth via the NASA Deep Space Network,a testament to its enduring engineering and the foresight of the mission’s planners.
