"Voyager: Living on the Edge - of the Solar System"

[rlb2]

<font color="orange">"In mid-2006 Voyager 1 will be 100 astronomical units from the sun, and that's 100 times as far from the sun as the Earth is, 9.3 billion miles. And Voyager 2 will be 80 times as far from the sun as the Earth, they are in the very outer regions of the heliosphere, the bubble that the sun creates around itself."<br /><br />http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/podcast/voyager-20060523/<br /><br /><font color="white">Also see links to a podcast of this news release titled : <br /><br /><font color="orange">JPL Podcast: Voyager: Living on the Edge - of the Solar System<br /></font></font></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[dragon04]

Arguably the best money ever sent on unmanned space probes.<br /><br />The mission is 29 years (that astounds me) old and still returning data. I'd give some little used body part to see Voyager with an instrumentation package like Galileo, Cassini or New Horizons had/has.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>

 

[qso1]

It does provide another data point, we are now gathering actual operational experience which could lead to an unmanned interstellar craft that could last as much as 50 years or more. <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>

 

[robnissen]

Does anyone know what the science life expectency is for New Horizons after its KBO flybys. Related to that, is the heliopause reachable by New Horizons in any reasonable time frame in the direction it will be traveling after the KBO flybys?

 

[rlb2]

<font color="orange">Arguably the best money ever sent on unmanned space probes.<font color="white"><br /><br />I agree. Now as Carl Sagen might say, they will soon be out there amongst the billions and billions of stars.<br /><br /></font></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

If the past is a barometer for what to expect from the Voyagers when they reach interstellar space - it will be the unexpected. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[dragon04]

Here's a link to the New Horizons page.<br /><br />http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/<br /><br />Another informative page is here<br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Horizons<br /><br />It appears that the RTG won't have the power left to do or transmit science beyond the 55AU line.<br /><br />For comparison, Voyager 1 is at a distance of about 80AU IIRC.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>

 

[Philotas]

Voyager 1 is almost at 100 AU <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[voyagerwsh]

Chuck Berry should be proud of his "<i>Johnny B. Goode</i>" is sailing to 100 AUs from the sun and beyond. <br /><br />

 

[michaelmozina]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>Arguably the best money ever sent on unmanned space probes. <p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />Yes, the voyager program is certainly an oldie, but "Johnny B. Goode" alright. Sorry, I just couldn't resist. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> The interesting thing is that I'm old enough to remember their launch.<br /><br />This program is now returning perhaps it's most interesting data ever. Both probes are finding the "edge" of the sun's sheath to exist at different distances, suggesting the sun's sheath is interacting with a flow of particles in the universe that tend to flow from a specific direction. The two voyager spacecraft were obviously well built. You have to appreciate the effort, and the scientific data that this program has provided. <br /><br />And the bonus is the music on board! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> It seems to be a natural consequence of our points of view to assume that the whole of space is filled with electrons and flying electric ions of all kinds. - Kristian Birkeland </div>

 

[brellis]

...10 miles per second for the past 25 years! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>

 

[qso1]

rlb2:<br />If the past is a barometer for...<br /><br />Me:<br />Thats for sure. <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>

 

[dragon04]

<font color="yellow">You have to appreciate the effort, and the scientific data that this program has provided.</font><br /><br />Don't get me wrong. The fact that the two Mars rovers are still operating and returning marvelous data unbelievably longer than any expectation is a testament to the men and women that made and continue to make it happen.<br /><br />It's just far more amazing to me that considering the immense difference in technology over the 25 years between the Voyager probes, and Spirit and Opportunity that the Voyager probes are still returning data of pehaps greater magnitude that another 30,000 Mars surface pictures could convey.<br /><br />I'll admit that I'm biased. I'm a child of Gemini and Apollo. I was blessed to be alive and watch Neil Armstrong set foot on the lunar surface on live television.<br /><br />I watched Enterprise separate from a 747 and land, and thereby putting the STS program in space. I've been to the National Air and Space Museum and climbed through the mockup of Skylab.<br /><br />I've been to KSC, and watched a Shuttle launch from Orlando, Florida.<br /><br />But setting these accomplishments and spectacular achievements aside, we have two Voyagers who have and <b>will</b> outlive (barring not one but two unforseen catastophic failures) every single mission program that has been launched to this very day since Alan Shepard strapped himself into Freedom 7 45 years ago, and for a few more years to come.<br /><br />Voyager is what Mankind and our need to know is all about. To me, it was and will be for some time to come, the pinnacle of our altruistic desire to know our place in the Universe.<br /><br />If I seem to revere the program, I certainly do. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>

 

[qso1]

Well put, and I for one, agree. <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>

 

[michaelmozina]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>I'll admit that I'm biased. I'm a child of Gemini and Apollo. I was blessed to be alive and watch Neil Armstrong set foot on the lunar surface on live television. <p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />I hear you. I was 9 the day that Neil Armstrong first walked on the moon. The Apollo program hooked me on astronomy for the rest of my life. <br /><br />I have come to appreciate the efforts that NASA has made on all their missions through the years, from the moon missions, to the satellites mapping other planets, to the landings of the rovers on Mars, and the many images of moons of other worlds. I find it all very fascinating. Its one of the few benefits I've enjoyed from paying my taxes to uncle sam all these years. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />It's really quite a blessing to live long enough to see the benefits of the Voyager program come to full fruition like this. All these years many later, their hard work is still paying huge dividends. Wow. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> It seems to be a natural consequence of our points of view to assume that the whole of space is filled with electrons and flying electric ions of all kinds. - Kristian Birkeland </div>

 

[dragon04]

How lucky are we? We've lived and watched the genesis of the space program.<br /><br />My earliest memories were of Gemini and all things "zero gee". I was 8 when Apollo 11 landed on the Moon. And like you, the space program lit a fire inside me.<br /><br />And to this day, I get unbelievably excited to see something like this topic refers to. Maybe because I know what it took to be sitting here with the privilege of seeing it.<br /><br />We're lucky. We may not see the first (relativistic) mission to the stars, or the colonization of Titan or even Mars for that matter. But we were here in the times that made it all happen. I hope someone always remembers these times. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>