How the Universe Works

Leading experts scrutinise the Voyager spacecraft’s most astonishing discoveries, detailing the scientific breakthroughs achieved across the outer planets and beyond. They also assess how the original operation has been re‑defined, transforming it into the programme’s ultimate mission to explore interstellar space.

Voyager’s Ultimate Mission is a programme presented as a single episode that centres on the historic Voyager spacecraft. It is billed as a factual series that brings viewers into the world of space exploration, focusing specifically on the achievements of the two interstellar probes launched in the late 1970s. The episode format allows the material to be covered in depth within a concise runtime. In the episode, a panel of specialists examines the most remarkable findings produced by the Voyager probes. These experts walk the audience through the data and images that the spacecraft returned, highlighting discoveries that have reshaped our understanding of the outer planets and the heliosphere. Their discussion underscores why these results are regarded as some of the most astonishing in the history of space science. The programme also investigates how the original operational plan for Voyager has evolved into what the producers describe as the “ultimate mission.” By tracing the shift from a planetary tour to an interstellar venture, the experts illustrate the ways in which the mission’s goals were expanded and re‑interpreted as the probes continued beyond their initial targets. Overall, Voyager’s Ultimate Mission offers a detailed look at the legacy of the Voyager spacecraft, concentrating on the extraordinary scientific returns and the transformation of the mission’s purpose over time. The episode presents these insights in a clear, conversational style that aims to make the complex achievements accessible to a broad audience.