Which NASA spacecraft was the first to visit and study all four giant planets…
2020
Which NASA spacecraft was the first to visit and study all four giant planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune) at close range?
- A.
Voyager 1
- B.
DSCOVR
- C.
InSight
- D.
Voyager 2
Attempted by 3 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
CONCEPT
For space-mission GK questions, identify the mission by its officially documented firsts and flyby targets. A spacecraft that fits this stem must have a recorded mission history covering all four giant planets.
APPLICATION
NASA describes Voyager 2 as the spacecraft whose planetary mission studied Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune at close range. That matches the four planets named in the question.
CONTRAST
Voyager 1 is linked to Jupiter and Saturn flybys, not the full four-giant-planet set.
DSCOVR monitors Earth and solar-wind conditions near L1, so it is outside the outer-planet context.
InSight studied Mars as a lander, so it belongs to a different planetary mission category.
Result: the spacecraft matching the description is Voyager 2.