ASA launched Voyager 2 aboard the Titan IIIE-Centaur way back in 1977. It was the first of two probes designed to examine the outer planets. Voyager 1,essentially its twin, launched a few weeks later.

While the scale may differ — the DSN sports telescopes up to 70 meters across — the Voyager twins were each launched with the largest dish that could fit into the fairing of the Titan IIIE ...

Voyager 2 launches on a Titan IIIE/Centaur rocket in 1977. Credit: Public Domain With the plasma science instrument getting so little use, it made sense to flip the switch. Voyager 1's plasma ...