Voyager 1 Hits New Milestone

[telfrow]

<i>Voyager 1, already the most distant human-made object in the cosmos, reaches 100 astronomical units from the sun on Tuesday, August 15 at 5:13 p.m. Eastern time (2:13 p.m. Pacific time). That means the spacecraft, which launched nearly three decades ago, will be 100 times more distant from the sun than Earth is. <br /><br />In more common terms, Voyager 1 will be about 15 billion kilometers (9.3 billion miles) from the sun. Dr. Ed Stone, Voyager project scientist and the former director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., says the Voyager team always predicted that the spacecraft would have enough power to last this long. <br /><br />"But what you can't predict is that the spacecraft isn't going to wear out or break. Voyager 1 and 2 run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but they were built to last," Stone said. The spacecraft have really been put to the test during their nearly 30 years of space travel, flying by the outer planets, and enduring such challenges as the harsh radiation environment around Jupiter. <br /><br />The spacecraft are traveling at a distance where the sun is but a bright point of light and solar energy is not an option for electrical power. The Voyagers owe their longevity to their nuclear power sources, called radioisotope thermoelectric generators, provided by the Department of Energy. <br /><br />Voyager 1 is now at the outer edge of our solar system, in an area called the heliosheath, the zone where the sun's influence wanes. This region is the outer layer of the 'bubble' surrounding the sun, and no one knows how big this bubble actually is. Voyager 1 is literally venturing into the great unknown and is approaching interstellar space. Traveling at a speed of about one million miles per day, Voyager 1 could cross into interstellar space within the next 10 years. </i><br /><br />Link<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font color="#3366ff">Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yeild.</font> - <font color="#3366ff"><em>Tennyson</em></font></strong> </div>

 

[dragon04]

The Little Engines That DID <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

I remember all the early milestones, thel aunches, first closeups of the Gas giants and their moons.<br />Part of what makes me an astro-junkie today. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[qso1]

If its the furthest of the four (Pioneer 10, 11, Voyager 1, 2). It can be regarded as the first manmade object to travel thru interstellar space once it gets there. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

<font color="yellow">.....they were built to last</font><br /><br />Do we overrate the harshness of the space environment I wonder. Most spacecraft launched seem to just go and go. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[3488]

I do not think that we have overestimated the harshness of space.<br /><br />Most NASA probes are built extremely well, are beautifully engineered & expertly managed (JPL are kings at this & JHU are not far behind).<br /><br />Voyager is just part of the proof in this. The environment Voyager is in is VERY Unforgiving. The sun is producing about as much warmth as a candle does from several miles away & yes Voyger 1 will be the first into intersteller space. <br /><br />A remarkable milestone indeed. Keep going Voyager. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[5stone10]

In a way - it sort of sucks.<br /><br />Voyager has averaged a speed of ~36,670 MPH during its nearly 30 years - and traversed merely 0.0015823 of a light-year.

 

[MeteorWayne]

You are right. Light travels ~ 186,000 miles per second so Voyager travels in an hour what light does in 2/10 of a second.<br />Space is REALLY big! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[voyagerwsh]

That good 'ol Golden Record in Voyager 1 carries Chuck Berry's <i>Johnny B. Goode</i> still B. Goode!

 

[nexius]

It's amazing how far humanity has come in the past 100 years and we are now breaching out into the unknown of the most puzzling thing we know of. Interstellar Space. Awesome indeed. Hopefully it will bring some new pictures to put up on my computer wall paper =)

 

[mikeemmert]

It's great that the ancient spacecraft has finally reached the heliosheath. When the original <i>Star Trek</i> series came on, it's mission was supposed to last 5 years. In those days, that was a loooong time. But it only lasted three years.

 

[derekmcd]

Maybe 1000 years from now, we can go capture it and put it in the Smithsonian. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div> </div><br /><div><span style="color:#0000ff" class="Apple-style-span">"If something's hard to do, then it's not worth doing." - Homer Simpson</span></div> </div>

 

[3488]

It would be quite an Oxymoron if Voyager was bought back & put in the Smithsonian. Could happen as you say within the next Millennium (perhaps the star exhibit in the year 3006)!!!<br /><br />If Voyager was ever re-encountered by humans, imagin what the trapped dust particles could tell, & the long duration of such a cold soak on the materials would reveal.<br /><br />I understand that the software to operate the cameras has been deleted, so no more pictures unfortunately.<br /><br />If it was discovered that either Voyager was due to make a serendipidous close encounter with a KBO, could the cameras be switched back on?<br /><br />Below thread on final images returned from either Voyager, (Voyager 1 on Valentines Day 1990).<br /><br /> http://uplink.space.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=askastronomer&Number=544455&page=2&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=0&fpart=<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[Boris_Badenov]

Anybody want to post a guess as to when it will pass beyond the Heliopause? My guess is before 2015.<img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#993300"><span class="body"><font size="2" color="#3366ff"><div align="center">. </div><div align="center">Never roll in the mud with a pig. You'll both get dirty & the pig likes it.</div></font></span></font> </div>

 

[vandivx]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>30 years ago, man that' when we did things huh? That's when we took risks..<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br />I don't see us having such vision anymore because if we did, we would have sent other similar craft on the way long ago repeatedly after this one was launched<br /><br />I am wondering, this must have been forseen that the time will come when the heliopause will be crossed and that some interesting data might be gotten still at that point, would someone at the time it was launched argue to put spare RTG onboard along with some special antena and what not that would be switched on after those original began to get too weak to be of much use anymore at the heliopause crossing? <br /><br />I would think that would have been worth it because thirty years is thirty years, its not like we are going to have anything out there again in a long time, isn't the second Voyager lacking the power now altogether to be heard from? I suppose one could always argue that way for still another powersupply for still farther reaches of space<br /><br />and yes, the space is stupendously big, that's why I see those talking about star going as sci-fi freaks, they don't have a notion what's out there, how immense the space really is (my god million miles a day and still its like crawling)<br /><br />I think if we ever get contact with ETs, it might be by catching some such stray craft long dead that some civilization have sent out on its way eons ago same as we did send out the Voyagers<br /><br />vanDivX <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[qso1]

I tend to think we do overrate the harshness of space. Its a pretty benign environment other than mainly thermal and radiation hazards. Other hazards such as micrometeoroids or larger roids are pretty rarely encountered as evidenced by the Voyager and Pioneer spacecrafts safe passage thru the asteroid belt.<br /><br />3488:<br />Most NASA probes are built extremely well, are beautifully engineered & expertly managed (JPL are kings at this & JHU are not far behind).<br /><br />Me:<br />As 3488 pointed out, space is a harsh environment but the craft built by JPL are able to take the harshness of space pretty well. Harsh as it is however, its still pretty benign. Unlike movie versions of space travel where the spaceships constantly dodging asteroids etc.<br /><br />The toughest part of spaceflight is launch, getting into or out of orbit, and re-entry/landing. The flight itself, imagine being on Voyager. Probably boring except when in close proximity to planets. Years of nothing but stargazing between flybys. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

<i>Years of nothing but stargazing between flybys.</i><br />Sounds dreamy <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[qso1]

It surely would be to an astronomer or a couple in love. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>