Engineering the Voyager Uranus mission

Abstract

Several factors that affected the continuing expedition of Voyager 2 to Uranus are discussed. The hydrazine propellant and electrical power supplies on the spacecraft, and the radio signal strength and sun sensor and star tracker sensitivities are examined. The use of the on-board computer to steady the spacecraft and reduce image smear is described. The Voyager employs radiometric and optical data to navigate. The changes required to improve the transmission capabilities of the spacecraft and to eliminate the on-board hardware failures are analyzed.