Voyager 1

[Martin]

Launched on 5th September 1977. What an achievement this has been for NASA. After 33 years and almost 11 billion miles, this spacecraft is still sending data back to us here on Earth.

Now it's about to become the first man made object to leave our solar system.

quote:

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December 13, 2010: The 33-year odyssey of NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft has reached a distant point at the edge of our solar system where there is no outward motion of solar wind.

The solar wind has turned the corner," said Ed Stone, Voyager project scientist based at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif. "Voyager 1 is getting close to interstellar space."

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http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/

[Martin]

Barring any serious spacecraft subsystem failures, the Voyagers may survive until the early twenty-first century (~ 2025), when diminishing power and hydrazine levels will prevent further operation. Were it not for these dwindling consumables and the possibility of losing lock on the faint Sun, our tracking antennas could continue to "talk" with the Voyagers for another century or two!

http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/didyouknow.html

[sandyship]

I wonder if our interest in space had dwindled ....due to the lack of responses to your topic. I must admit it doesn't get me too excited these days.. Maybe the space age as such has past- due to more earthly concerns over the past 2 decades... i dunno!!!! Snady

[LDunlop76]

It's still interesting, but it's a busy time of year. I'm only on now because I'm making sure my son's flight home has taken off OK!

[Karen]

OH.... you'll all be together for Christmas!
Lovely[]

[Martin]

It's not really a techie forum but some people find it interesting. Voyager 1 doesn't mind a bit of cold [][]