Voyager Spacecraft Enters Solar System's Final Frontier

[SirUlli]

NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft has entered the solar system's final frontier. It is entering a vast, turbulent expanse where the Sun's influence ends and the solar wind crashes into the thin gas between stars.

"Voyager 1 has entered the final lap on its race to the edge of interstellar space," said Dr. Edward Stone, Voyager project scientist at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Caltech manages NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, which built and operates Voyager 1 and its twin, Voyager 2.
...

Full Story

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2005-084

more Info

http://cc.jpl.nasa.gov/voyager/050523-voyager.qtl

quicktime Video

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/videos/voyager/voy-shock-audio.mpg

Audio und Video Animation

http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/JPLvoyagerModule/JPLvoyagerModule.html

interactive Flash presentation

27 five years and working, i dont know a Computer or somethink else what is workink since 27 Years...

Sir Ulli

 

[petrusbroder]

Thanks for the info, that is very interesting. I remember the day when Voyager started...

Originally posted by: SirUlli
Quote edited by petrusbroder ...

27 five years and working, i dont know a Computer or somethink else what is workink since 27 Years...

Sir Ulli

Nor do I, not for 27 years, and of the electronic variety. My trusted old Tandy laptop (rather lap top crusher) was purchased by me in 1985. And it is still working: it is the computer which - through the printer and serial port - regulates the heat, humidity, ventilation in my house.
A DOS-machine, with a set of of DOS-programs and it does the job superbly. It has been on for 24/7 since 1992. before that it was used as a office computer for 4 - 5 hours a day for 6 days a week.
OK, there is no harddisk, the floppies are sealed to prevent dust to come in - but they work, the battery gives only about 45 minutes juice for the computer, but screen, keyboard, motherbord, memory, processor and everything else works quite good.
AFAIK it will just go on and on and on. I'll let you know - if I remember and my memory still works when it passes the 30-year-anniversary...
I think, that the computers on the Voyager are designed to a much higher standard, and they will probably last a long time yet.

 

[Assimilator1]

Cool ,thanks Ulli

Btw their probably are many things that are still working after 27yrs (classic cars ,power stations,trains,ships etc) but not without servicing!.It's remarkable its still working after all this time without being touched & exposed to the harshness of space! ,even if you factor in that their are (presumabley) very few moving mechanical parts.

Btw the topic summary should be 'working for 27yrs'

 

[Spacehead]

Too bad it looks as though it'll be losing the funding to keep it going

THanks for the additional links though SirUlli

 

[Assimilator1]

Yea

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: Spacehead
Too bad it looks as though it'll be losing the funding to keep it going

THanks for the additional links though SirUlli

A measly $4.2 million is all that's needed.

That is spent in only a half hour in Iraq. 30 minutes' worth of Iraq war funding is all the Voyager project needs to keep going.


:| :|


Sorry to inject a bit of politics into this thread but crap like this just pisses me off!

 

[Soggysocks]

Well,

If you all are concerned.......Then you can help continue the mission Here.

 

[Assimilator1]

Interesting link soggy ,thanks (I just joined the Plt Society)

Conjur
I guess its a question of priorities ,Voyager isn't important enough (lets not get too political here)
Still ,you think they could spare a relatively measly $4.2 million/yr!:roll: