Top ten spacecraft

1. Voyager 2
No spacecraft has achieved more than Voyager 2. It has taught us about the solar system, been to planets it wasn't scheduled to go to and it's never once asked for overtime or a Christmas bonus. It's what we call a trouper. We salute you Voyager 2, and wish you the best for the eternity you'll be wandering across the universe.

Voyager 2 is described as the most productive space probe yet to be deployed. Launched in 1977, it is now more than 9.7 billion miles away from Earth. In its 31-year life Voyager 2 has done far more than it was designed to, visiting Jupiter, Neptune, Saturn and Uranus and finally becoming an interstellar probe.

Voyager 2 is made up of over 65,000 components, has transmitted more than 582GB of data back to Earth and weighs three-quarters of a tonne, but operates on just 400W of power.

It continues to work, even today, thanks to a nuclear power source that won't become totally depleted until 2025. Even once the probe does finally shut down its last electrical system, it could continue to be of use -- if an alien race encounters it. Voyager has a golden disc on-board that contains information about mankind, Earth and a selection of music from across our planet. If extra-terrestrial life forms discover it, and are somehow able to work out what we're banging on about, they may decide to pay us a visit. At the very least, as long as it doesn't collide with anything, Voyager could tell a tale of the Earth long after we're all dead and gone.

Photo credit: NASA