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Just as it says...
By What's Burning?
#318905
Can you believe it that is was 35 years ago today that Voyager 1 deep space probe was launched?
By Big Azza
#318912
I've been following them closely in the last few years. They're not too far away from entering into interstellar space!

However, I have my own little theory that it would be the end of the Voyager space craft. I am no scientist, but I shall imagine that the Voyager space craft would be like a fly leaving the window of a car on the freeway. The speed of our solar system travelling through space is monumental, isn't it?

So it will either be recollected by our solar system, or what I was hoping for, shoot backwards like a fly does, and into another solar system. But we would've surely lost contact by then....

But basically, I do not think it has the relative speed to be able to travel in interstellar space... At last estimate, our Sun is travelling at 230km/s, whereas the Voyager space craft are only travelling at 15.6 km/s.
Last edited by Big Azza on 06 Sep 12, 02:24, edited 1 time in total.
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By darwin dali
#318913
I've been following them closely in the last few years. They're not too far away from entering into interstellar space!

Hm, you must have a real big-ass telescope!
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By stonemonkey
#318915
I've been following them closely in the last few years. They're not too far away from entering into interstellar space!

However, I have my own little theory that it would be the end of the Voyager space craft. I am no scientist, but I shall imagine that the Voyager space craft would be like a fly leaving the window of a car on the freeway. The speed of our solar system travelling through space is monumental, isn't it?

So it will either be recollected by our solar system, or what I was hoping for, shoot backwards like a fly does, and into another solar system. But we would've surely lost contact by then....

But basically, I do not think it has the relative speed to be able to travel in interstellar space... At last estimate, our Sun is travelling at 230km/s, whereas the Voyager space craft are only travelling at 15.6 km/s.


The stellar wind will have a very small effect, not quite like the fly out the car window though and will be barely noticable, voyagers 15.6 km/s is relative to the sun. Even the suns 230km/s won't be absolute, that's probably relative to the milky way which itself is moving.

As far as I can remember, Voyager is due to pass within 1/2 a lightyear of another star in 40,000 years, and it's power source will only last another 10 or 15 years although some of it's instruments have failed already. I might be wrong on some of that.
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By Jabberwocky
#318922
I thought Voyager was stuck in the delta quadrant?

Maybe the universe is only that size, it will re-appear on the opposite side?
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By geetface9
#318925
Idk much about science and such. How fast is our solar system moving inside the universe? And is there some border where there is instantly a violent turbulence similar to the window of a car like big azza said? Would that tear the voyager to shreds? Or is it something gradual that the voyager could survive?
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By stonemonkey
#318944
Idk much about science and such. How fast is our solar system moving inside the universe? And is there some border where there is instantly a violent turbulence similar to the window of a car like big azza said? Would that tear the voyager to shreds? Or is it something gradual that the voyager could survive?


There is no stationary frame to measure against, hence relativity
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By Jabberwocky
#318947
it's power source will only last another 10 or 15 years although some of it's instruments have failed already. I might be wrong on some of that.


How many people still have electronic stuff in there house from the 1970's that still work? That has never be repaired.

I have a Cossor Melody that I use, I am a radio/electronics engineer and I like the old valve's etc. However that has been repaired a few times.
By What's Burning?
#318960
it's power source will only last another 10 or 15 years although some of it's instruments have failed already. I might be wrong on some of that.


How many people still have electronic stuff in there house from the 1970's that still work? That has never be repaired.

I have a Cossor Melody that I use, I am a radio/electronics engineer and I like the old valve's etc. However that has been repaired a few times.

Then again those old electronic things of yours weren't built in clean rooms with better than mil spec standards. Obviously at this point the idea of the voyager missions was more significant than the actual attempt. The symbolism of that plaque and the idea of it being the first interstellar object is still powerful.

Anyone remember the storyline of the first Star Trek movie?
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By Jabberwocky
#318961
mil spec standards

I have seen McDonald's toys build to better standards.

your right though it was not built to the same standard, but as I am sure you know components over time break down, so keeping something powered up for 35 years is going to degrade systems. Even if you did not have it powered up, I would not like to be anywhere near it when it was switched on.
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By stonemonkey
#318970
it's power source will only last another 10 or 15 years although some of it's instruments have failed already. I might be wrong on some of that.


How many people still have electronic stuff in there house from the 1970's that still work? That has never be repaired.

I have a Cossor Melody that I use, I am a radio/electronics engineer and I like the old valve's etc. However that has been repaired a few times.

Then again those old electronic things of yours weren't built in clean rooms with better than mil spec standards. Obviously at this point the idea of the voyager missions was more significant than the actual attempt. The symbolism of that plaque and the idea of it being the first interstellar object is still powerful.

Anyone remember the storyline of the first Star Trek movie?


They are still getting some information about the boundary of the solar system and yes, it's pretty amazing it's still working and we're still able to pick up it's signal (just looked it up and voyagers transmitter is 23 watt!)
By What's Burning?
#318974
Idk much about science and such. How fast is our solar system moving inside the universe? And is there some border where there is instantly a violent turbulence similar to the window of a car like big azza said? Would that tear the voyager to shreds? Or is it something gradual that the voyager could survive?


There is no stationary frame to measure against, hence relativity

The appearance is that we are stationary and EVERYTHING ELSE is moving away from us!
User avatar
By Jabberwocky
#319034
it's power source will only last another 10 or 15 years although some of it's instruments have failed already. I might be wrong on some of that.


How many people still have electronic stuff in there house from the 1970's that still work? That has never be repaired.

I have a Cossor Melody that I use, I am a radio/electronics engineer and I like the old valve's etc. However that has been repaired a few times.

Then again those old electronic things of yours weren't built in clean rooms with better than mil spec standards. Obviously at this point the idea of the voyager missions was more significant than the actual attempt. The symbolism of that plaque and the idea of it being the first interstellar object is still powerful.

Anyone remember the storyline of the first Star Trek movie?


They are still getting some information about the boundary of the solar system and yes, it's pretty amazing it's still working and we're still able to pick up it's signal (just looked it up and voyagers transmitter is 23 watt!)


you can bounce HF transmissions around the world on 5 Watts.

as there is not much between us and voyager (ie the vaccume of space) attenuation is very little. I would also imagine that there is a high gain antenna, very much like a sky dish that it uses for transmission.

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