Shop OBEX P1 Docs P2 Docs Learn Events
35 years later, Voyager 1 is heading for the stars — Parallax Forums

35 years later, Voyager 1 is heading for the stars

Ron CzapalaRon Czapala Posts: 2,418
edited 2012-09-06 06:27 in General Discussion
http://news.yahoo.com/35-years-later-voyager-1-heading-stars-085821926.html


Wednesday marks the 35th anniversary of Voyager 1's launch to Jupiter and Saturn. It is now flitting around the fringes of the solar system, which is enveloped in a giant plasma bubble. This hot and turbulent area is created by a stream of charged particles from the sun.

Voyager 1 is currently more than 11 billion miles from the sun. Twin Voyager 2, which celebrated its launch anniversary two weeks ago, trails behind at 9 billion miles from the sun.
They're still ticking despite being relics of the early Space Age.

Each only has 68 kilobytes of computer memory. To put that in perspective, the smallest iPod — an 8-gigabyte iPod Nano — is 100,000 times more powerful. Each also has an eight-track tape recorder. Today's spacecraft use digital memory.

Since the spacecraft are so far out, it takes 17 hours for a radio signal from Voyager 1 to travel to Earth. For Voyager 2, it takes about 13 hours.

Comments

  • frank freedmanfrank freedman Posts: 1,983
    edited 2012-09-04 18:50
    You know, that would be a heck of a tech manual to post sometime. Wonder if NASA could be persuaded to scan it and post it........
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,366
    edited 2012-09-04 19:39
    It'll be back in a few hundred years as V'GER, and will come close to destroying us, thanks to its very limited RAM.

    -- Gordon
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,261
    edited 2012-09-04 19:48
    V'GER: Silence, carbon unit infestation McComb!
  • mindrobotsmindrobots Posts: 6,506
    edited 2012-09-05 03:05
    I wonder if the "Doobie Brothers" 8-track cartridge is still holding up?
  • Martin_HMartin_H Posts: 4,051
    edited 2012-09-05 12:51
    "send more chuck berry"
  • skylightskylight Posts: 1,915
    edited 2012-09-05 17:24
    Ron Czapala wrote: »

    Each only has 68 kilobytes of computer memory. To put that in perspective, the smallest iPod — an 8-gigabyte iPod Nano — is 100,000 times more powerful.
    And because of those restrictions programmers were far more efficient in the programs they wrote, No gigabyte ram or hard disks many times that size for them.

    The days when a chess program was written in 1K are long gone.
  • skylightskylight Posts: 1,915
    edited 2012-09-05 17:26
    Martin_H wrote: »
    "send more chuck berry"
    I just can't begin to imagine an alien trying to decipher the meaning of the song "My Ding-a-ling"
  • HumanoidoHumanoido Posts: 5,770
    edited 2012-09-05 20:08
    Amazing spacecraft.. wondering if there's any juice left in those batteries..
  • Duane C. JohnsonDuane C. Johnson Posts: 955
    edited 2012-09-06 04:32
    Hi Humanido;
    Humanoido wrote: »
    Amazing spacecraft.. wondering if there's any juice left in those batteries..
    The Voyagers are plutonium-238 nuclear powered with RTG SNAP generators. They started out with 470W of power but as the plutonium decays they have lost quite a bit of functionality at the lessor power levels today.

    Duane J
  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    edited 2012-09-06 05:38
    Electrical power is supplied by three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs). The current power levels are about 315 watts for each spacecraft. As the electrical power decreases, power loads on the spacecraft must be turned off in order to avoid having demand exceed supply. As loads are turned off, some spacecraft capabilities are eliminated.



    JPL: Voyager - The Interstellar Mission
  • Ron CzapalaRon Czapala Posts: 2,418
    edited 2012-09-06 06:27
    Duane C. Johnson wrote: »
    Hi Humanido;

    The Voyagers are plutonium-238 nuclear powered with RTG SNAP generators. They started out with 470W of power but as the plutonium decays they have lost quite a bit of functionality at the lessor power levels today.

    Duane J

    The article stated that
    The spacecraft have enough fuel to last until around 2020.
Sign In or Register to comment.