Imagine that you built something that even the most optimistic person thought would last 4-5 years, and yet almost 45 years later it is still carrying out the task of discovering the secrets of our solar system and beyond. And they, for there are two of them, are not quite finished yet. This is a remarkable story. [JR]
Record-Breaking Voyager Spacecraft Begin to Power Down:
If the stars hadn't aligned, two of the most remarkable spacecraft ever launched never would have gotten off the ground. In this case, the stars were actually planets—the four largest in the solar system. Some 60 years ago they were slowly wheeling into an array that had last occurred during the presidency of Thomas Jefferson in the early years of the 19th century. For a while the rare planetary set piece unfolded largely unnoticed. The first person to call attention to it was an aeronautics doctoral student at the California Institute of Technology named Gary Flandro.
It was 1965, and the era of space exploration was barely underway—the Soviet Union had launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, only eight years earlier. Flandro, who was working part-time at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., had been tasked with finding the most efficient way to send a space probe to Jupiter or perhaps even out to Saturn, Uranus or Neptune. Using a favorite precision tool of 20th-century engineers—a pencil—he charted the orbital paths of those giant planets and discovered something intriguing: in the late 1970s and early 1980s, all four would be strung like pearls on a celestial necklace in a long arc with Earth.
This coincidence meant that a space vehicle could get a speed boost from the gravitational pull of each giant planet it passed, as if being tugged along by an invisible cord that snapped at the last second, flinging the probe on its way. Flandro calculated that the repeated gravity assists, as they are called, would cut the flight time between Earth and Neptune from 30 years to 12. There was just one catch: the alignment happened only once every 176 years. To reach the planets while the lineup lasted, a spacecraft would have to be launched by the mid-1970s.
As it turned out, NASA would build two space vehicles to take advantage of that once-in-more-than-a-lifetime opportunity. Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, identical in every detail, were launched within 15 days of each other in the summer of 1977. After nearly 45 years in space, they are still functioning, sending data back to Earth every day from beyond the solar system's most distant known planets. They have traveled farther and lasted longer than any other spacecraft in history. And they have crossed into interstellar space, according to our best understanding of the boundary between the sun's sphere of influence and the rest of the galaxy. They are the first human-made objects to do so, a distinction they will hold for at least another few decades. Not a bad record, all in all, considering that the Voyager missions were originally planned to last just four years.
Early in their travels, four decades ago, the Voyagers gave astonished researchers the first close-up views of the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, revealing the existence of active volcanoes and fissured ice fields on worlds astronomers had thought would be as inert and crater-pocked as our own moon. In 1986 Voyager 2 became the first spacecraft to fly past Uranus; three years later it passed Neptune. So far it is the only spacecraft to have made such journeys. Now, as pioneering interstellar probes more than 12 billion miles from Earth, they're simultaneously delighting and confounding theorists with a series of unexpected discoveries about that uncharted region.
Their remarkable odyssey is finally winding down. Over the past three years NASA has shut down heaters and other nonessential components, eking out the spacecrafts' remaining energy stores to extend their unprecedented journeys to about 2030. For the Voyagers' scientists, many of whom have worked on the mission since its inception, it is a bittersweet time. They are now confronting the end of a project that far exceeded all their expectations.*
"We're at 44 and a half years," says Ralph McNutt, a physicist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), who has devoted much of his career to the Voyagers. "So we've done 10 times the warranty on the darn things."
Engineering Voyager 2's Encounter with Uranus. Richard P. Laeser, William I. McLaughlin and Donna M. Wolff; November 1986.
(Score: 0, Troll) by Runaway1956 on Friday July 22 2022, @10:37AM (11 children)
Look what the last generation did with 1960s technology. WTF have we done since that compares? THAT is why I cheer for Elon Musk, he's actually climbing up on the shoulders of the giants who preceded him.
“I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
(Score: 5, Touché) by Thexalon on Friday July 22 2022, @10:54AM (9 children)
Sent rovers and a friggin' helicopter to another planet using a really innovative landing system that means we can and do land much more complex probes than, say, Pioneer. Launched a couple of space telescopes that have allowed us to see further away / further back in time than ever before. Maintained a space station in orbit for longer than ever before in human history. Put a whole bunch of satellites up there, giving us GPS and detailed maps of the entire globe.
I agree, not as flashy as going to the moon and planting an MTV flag, but still significant achievements. Oh, and Elon Musk wasn't responsible for most of that - is was mostly the work of the various government space agencies.
Vote for Pedro
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 22 2022, @02:35PM (1 child)
It's also worth recognizing that this particular advancement either requires the literal planets to be aligned or a method of propulsion that remains elusive in order to accomplish. Yes, it is an impressive bit of engineering, but even with the best engineering available now, you wouldn't see similar results.
(Score: 2) by fraxinus-tree on Friday July 22 2022, @03:37PM
New Horizons probe did quite a similar feat with less gravity assists (and more delta-v budget).
(Score: 5, Funny) by bzipitidoo on Friday July 22 2022, @06:40PM (1 child)
Obligatory quote:
“All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?”
(Score: 2) by krishnoid on Saturday July 23 2022, @02:37AM
Such a classic bit [youtu.be].
(Score: 2) by oumuamua on Friday July 22 2022, @08:04PM (1 child)
Sure these are great achievements but a lot of us were hoping for a world like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_All_Mankind_(TV_series) [wikipedia.org] a world exactly like Musk is bringing as soon as Starship goes operational.
(which I have not seen not having Apple TV+ ... is there any way to buy one show?)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2022, @07:08AM
{I think they're just past the pink pony aisle).
(Score: 3, Insightful) by tizan on Friday July 22 2022, @09:21PM (1 child)
Indeed...quite a few space telescopes (Many of x-rays and gamma rays ones e.g Chandra). We have an observatory nearly touching the sun's surface !
Remember the probe that descended on Titan and got us the discovery of methane oceans !
Voyagers were the pioneers but boy compare the images and results that was gotten by more modern missions like Cassini and Juno.
Musk who ?
No private company is going to invest in pure science anymore ...the days of Bell lab etc ...is gone for ever.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2022, @07:14AM
> No private company is going to invest in pure science anymore ...the days of Bell lab etc ...is gone for ever.
Steady on. Neoliberism is a thing but it's not THE thing. Plenty of people don't value things solely on their net worth. Just like Freedom(tm), maintaining the human spirit ain't free. It has a value, in other words.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by khallow on Saturday July 23 2022, @12:45AM
Now look at the price tag. Basically that not very impressive list is about two trillion dollars maybe more (not sure I'm including enough inflation), counting NASA, DoD, and relevant funding from other countries. When SpaceX gets its Spaceship-Superheavy combo flying for real, they will have spent around a thousandth of that, maybe a little more with the Falcon 1/9 development tossed in.
There's a reason that SpaceX is a game changer.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 22 2022, @03:34PM
Must've been quite comfy living under that rock of yours for so long.
I wonder though why did you get out?
What, your daily dose of Russian propaganda got you so excited you couldn't stay put anymore?
(Score: 4, Informative) by AnonTechie on Friday July 22 2022, @10:44AM
A well made and informative documentary on Voyager spacecraft:
THE FARTHEST tells the captivating tales of the people and events behind one of humanity’s greatest achievements in exploration: NASA’s Voyager mission
https://www.pbs.org/the-farthest/ [pbs.org]
More info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Farthest [wikipedia.org]
Albert Einstein - "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
(Score: 5, Funny) by coolgopher on Friday July 22 2022, @12:48PM (2 children)
I don't see how they could possibly lose the distinction of being first unless there's some time travel incoming...
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 22 2022, @02:16PM
Hey, use the spoiler alert tags! Some of us might want to be surprised.
(Score: 4, Informative) by Freeman on Friday July 22 2022, @03:39PM
Yes, they are the first to do so. There are at least 3 other craft that will follow after them "soon". The article could have been worded better, though.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioneer_10 [wikipedia.org]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioneer_11 [wikipedia.org]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Horizons [wikipedia.org]
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Rosco P. Coltrane on Friday July 22 2022, @03:37PM (3 children)
I remember the voyager spacecrafts go up into space when I was a kid, then I marveled at the images they sent back as a teenager, then I marveled at their crossing into interstellar space as an adult. And all that time right up now, at the twilight of my life, I've marveled at their still being powered on, still doing good science and still talking to us. Those machines are true survivors, a tribute to brilliant and inspired engineering, the like of which we have precious little nowadays.
Those devices have been alive almost as long as I have. And now, finally, at long last, the survivor is dying, and a small part of me is dying with it. Like losing a close friend.
(Score: 4, Funny) by kazzie on Friday July 22 2022, @05:24PM
But there's an honourable mention for https://xkcd.com/695/ [xkcd.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2022, @07:26AM
The voyagers have been an inspiration showing people they can work far beyond their anticipated retirement age serving the ambitions of the intellectual elite. Perhaps we can direct the JWDT at them and watch them tirelessly chase the dream of crossing interstellar space.
(Score: 2) by bzipitidoo on Saturday July 23 2022, @02:15PM
Oddly? Why, yes, I have my own anecdote that's kind of odd.
I was a young college student when Voyager 2 flew past Uranus. I was hurrying back to the dorms to catch the reporting about this event on the national news, when a young woman fell in beside me and asked me what I was doing. I said "I'm going to see Uranus tonight!" She did NOT give me her phone number and I never saw her again. Evidently she didn't keep up with astronomy.
So often in matters of love, it feels like everything is against you. The jokes about the name were still pretty new then, and I was among the last to hear about it, since I paid attention to scientific advance, and not pop culture.
Years later, that Apple computer is named after a healthy fruit proved a real help in getting a kid to try and like apples. Introduced the kid to a classic game, Beneath Apple Manor, in which the ultimate goal is to obtain the fabled Golden Apple. I couldn't find Golden Delicious apples at the grocery, but the Opal variety proved to be a excellent stand in.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 22 2022, @06:53PM (4 children)
Kind of depressing--these things started in my childhood and I'm AARP age now. But the bright side is that we're capable of doing some amazing things when we put our minds to it. To think that something could be built that runs so long in such a harsh environment. What's to look forward too? It's depressing that for more than half my expected lifespan these things have gotten only what, about a light-day away from Earth? What's to look forward to? The tech that will whiz some future probe by these things, making perhaps a light-day in one year. That seems like an achievable goal in my lifetime. Depressing that propulsion technology seems to be kind of stagnant. Exciting that it doesn't have to stagnate indefinitely. Sometimes things go in leaps and bounds. These probes were a leap, and that's most decidedly not depressing.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 22 2022, @07:20PM (3 children)
I always marvel at the pictures like the Hubble deep field, or especially the initial JWST released image. To think that such a very tiny section of the sky has an almost uncountable number of galaxies, not just stars, and to think of how many stars are in each galaxy. Then to realize that all but maybe our closest neighbor star is unreachable to us in a lifetime, and what a piddly distance away that is, that we have no hope in imagining how big space is, how many worlds there are out there, and I am a firm believer in this, how much intelligent life there is out there. Then to think that the only way we will ever know one another is through some exploit in some major part of physics that has remained unknown to us that allows us to cross such distances. We are tiny and we are destined to be alone, but we've got each other, and I hope that someday we will realize that and get along with each other better than we do now, or have done for the last number of thousands of years.
(Score: 2) by acid andy on Saturday July 23 2022, @02:05AM (2 children)
All I can say to that is amen.
Welcome to Edgeways. Words should apply in advance as spaces are highly limite—
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 23 2022, @07:30AM (1 child)
That's all you can say? How about the line:
> to realize that all but maybe our closest neighbor star is unreachable to us in a lifetime
Isn't that the Universe giving us a clue? Don't go there.
(Score: 2) by acid andy on Saturday July 23 2022, @09:53AM
It gives us a clue that just as we could spend countless lifetimes attempting to travel to the most distant stars, we can also spend countless lifetimes exploring what is right here in our vicinity; we just need to engineer and preserve a genuinely sustainable future for such lifetimes for as long as possible.
Welcome to Edgeways. Words should apply in advance as spaces are highly limite—
(Score: 5, Funny) by hendrikboom on Friday July 22 2022, @08:38PM
Evidently someone accidentally stuck a dash between the 4 and the 5 in the original estimate.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by gznork26 on Friday July 22 2022, @09:27PM
Despite my having washed out of a Space Technology program earlier in my career, and courtesy of a lead from a friend on a software contract in Los Angeles, my wife and I both managed to get software contracts working on NASA/JPL's Deep Space Network during the run-up to Voyager 2's encounter with Saturn. Because of the round-trip light time delay in communications with the spacecraft, when it was time for the pictures to start slowly streaming in, there was nothing to do but watch the monitors while the mission scientists announced what each incoming image ought to be, assuming that all the calculations had been correct.
That accomplishment was the culmination of the effort of many teams, of people in all kinds of specialties, all doing something that had never been accomplished before. That life was the antithesis of the Internet's break-it-fast-with-public-betas approach. And I have to wonder how many people today can even imagine going out on a limb like that and staking the work of so many others on your bit of it being done right. Even so, the engineers of the time made sure that even the worst-case scenarios had a Plan-B, a slow and laborious way to re-program the machine code driving the craft. It was on the basis of that level of planning that the Voyagers have been able to survive this long.
If and when people ever follow in Voyager's footsteps, it will be a far different kind of adventure.
Khipu were Turing complete.