The Voyager Space Probes - Episode 104

70s Trek: Star Trek in the 1970s

When it was revealed at the end of Star Trek The Motion Picture that a Voyager probe was actually the mysterious V’Ger, moviegoers experienced instant recognition.

Voyager 1 and 2 had launched just two years before and in 1979, both probes were in the news again as they approached Jupiter. So audiences easily recognized the name and the shape of the Voyager probe in the movie. Talk about being timely! The star Trek production team hit a home run with this surprise reveal.

NASA Inspires Livingston and Roddenberry

It’s brilliant what Harold Livingston and Gene Roddenberry did. By placing a Voyager probe at the center of the story for The Motion Picture, they tied their futuristic movie to real events that were happening in 1979.

Voyager 1 was in the news in the fall of 1978 as it approached Jupiter. Clearly Livingston and Roddenberry heard the news, and decided to make it part of the story.

And Voyager 1 and 2 remained in the news from January to August in 1979 as both probes passed by Jupiter. So audiences heard the name Voyager, and saw images of the probes for 8 months in 1979. So all of it was still fresh in their minds when they watched Star Trek The Motion Picture in December 1979.

On this week's episode of 70s Trek, Bob turner and Kelly Casto tell you about the two Voyager space probes that inspired The Motion Picture.