Sun, Nov 09, 2003
Can You Hear Me Now? Good.
Call it the little space probe that could, designed to last just
five years. Twenty-six years later, still ticking.
"This little engine that could was not designed for this kind of
lifetime," said Louis Lanzerotti. He's a Bell Labs expert on
solar wind who has been involved with the Voyager program since
1972. "It's absolutely remarkable."
Along with its sister
ship, Voyager II, Voyager I has been on an incredible journey, now
more than 90 AU (astronomical units -- the distance between the
Earth and Sun) away now, it continues to function. It passed the
outer reaches of the heliosphere, the area of space directly
influenced by our sun. Yet it continues to faithfully send
data.
"We do have enough electrical power, if nothing breaks on the
spacecraft, we can continue till 2020," said Edward Stone. He's a
Voyager scientist at the California Institute of Technology. a
Voyager project scientists based at the California Institute of
Technology, said at a briefing at NASA headquarters.
Some scientists believe the probe has entered interstellar
space, a place beyond the solar winds. Others say that crossing
won't take place until 2020 or thereabouts. Voyager carries a solid
gold record offering greetings from all of mankind in its various
languages, just in case a passing stranger wanders by.
After leaving the solar neighborhood, both Voyager spacecraft
veered away from the plane in which all planets reside. Voyager I
went "up," while Voyager II went "down."
More News
From 2023 (YouTube Version): Legacy of a Titan Robert (Bob) Anderson Hoover was a fighter pilot, test pilot, flight instructor, and air show superstar. More so, Bob Hoover was an i>[...]
Get The Latest in Aviation News NOW on Instagram Are you on Instagram yet? It's been around for a few years, quietly picking up traction mostly thanks to everybody's new obsession >[...]
Aero Linx: B-52H Stratofortress The B-52H Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic spee>[...]
Altimeter Setting The barometric pressure reading used to adjust a pressure altimeter for variations in existing atmospheric pressure or to the standard altimeter setting (29.92).>[...]
"Knowing that we play an active part in bettering people's lives is extremely rewarding. My team and I are very thankful for the opportunity to be here and to help in any way we ca>[...]