A probe begins the grand tour

Designed and built in India, the country’s first satellite was launched on a Soviet rocket.

Aryabhata began a new phase in India’s scientific and engineering space work.

The launch from Kapustin Yar illustrates international cooperation in the early Indian space program.

The spacecraft took its name from the mathematician and astronomer whose work was studied in the earlier astronomy batch.

Despite its number, Voyager 2 departed before Voyager 1, beginning its journey to the outer planets.

The spacecraft carried cameras and instruments to study planets, moons and their environments.

The probe’s record carried images and sounds selected to represent life and culture on Earth.

The second Voyager launch used a trajectory that overtook Voyager 2 on the way to Jupiter.

Voyager 1 began a mission designed to return images and measurements of distant giant planets.

Its record presented sounds and images from Earth to any future finders of the spacecraft.