PDA

View Full Version here: : Voyager spacecraft


casstony
10-06-2011, 09:39 AM
The Voyager spacecraft got a good few minutes of newstime on ABC today - travelling for 33 years, their discoveries, the golden record carrying info about us, 40,000 years to the next star, nice graphics - good to see media coverage that might inspire interest from the public.

It's interesting to consider that advances in our capacity for space travel might see these relics recovered before they have a chance to be found by other lifeforms.

Suzy
11-06-2011, 11:30 PM
Thanks Tony. You prompted me to go and do some further reading on the Voyagers at the NASA site here (http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/didyouknow.html). I came across a very interesting page of "Did You Know" s. :D
There's plenty more very interesting reading on the supplied link other than the tid bits I've given below. :D

And if you have a look at this pag (http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/)e on the NASA site, it even shows the running clock of km's as they travel. Wow, it's so amazing to see it tick over so fast, it made me feel really connected to the Voyagers!

And who could forget that very famous picture, "The Pale Blue Dot" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pale_Blue_Dot). When Voyager 1 was leaving our solar system,
Carl Sagen asked NASA to point Voyager at our Earth. What a stunning, memorable picture that was- there sat Earth so incredibly tiny, sitting on the large bright rays of our sun.

ballaratdragons
11-06-2011, 11:52 PM
Yep, that is a definite WOW!!!! Thanks Suzy :)

Except I notice an anomoly.
Voyager 1 click over approx 100k every 5 seconds

whereas Voyager 2 only clicks over approx 10k every 5 seconds. :shrug:

Either way, they are really hiking along at great speed!!! :eyepop:

Suzy
12-06-2011, 12:42 AM
Hmmmmm.....:confuse3:
Dodging rocky bodies? :lol:
Lots of traffic up there intercepting alien space ships? :lol:
Dark matter is really really thick and hard to travel through? :lol:
It needs a service? :lol:
:shrug:

A good observation made there Ken,;) you must have given that ticker a really good going over to pick that up as the clocks move so fast. Boy, nothing gets passed you hey?!:lol:

I couldn't resist .. curiousity got the better of me (curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back, and all that :D). So I have just emailed NASA asking them why. :whistle: I'll let you know what they say when they respond. :) I hope they respond.:question: Otherwise, I guess I'll become their Voyager stalker. :help:

ballaratdragons
12-06-2011, 12:43 AM
check this out: http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/JPLvoyagerModule/JPLvoyagerModule.html

:thumbsup:

Also, I think I have worked out the speed difference Suzy. Voyager 1 is flying away at a different angle to Voyager 2.

Earth must be currently moving away from Voyager 1's direction on it's way around the Sun.
But not moving away from Voyager 2's direction as fast.

Suzy
12-06-2011, 01:13 AM
That was great fun. :D

But I had even better fun when I clicked on "Contact Earth" (http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/JPLvoyagerModule/JPLvoyagerModule.html) at the top menu bar. :D:D
It's a game trying to get voyager to Jupiter. So much fun, except I kept going off course. I'll get better at it... I know what I'll be doing tomorrow...:rolleyes: :lol:

Suzy
12-06-2011, 01:16 AM
Makes sense :thumbsup:.
I have to go and give that game a couple more goes now. I feel an addiction coming on..:rolleyes:

ballaratdragons
12-06-2011, 01:17 AM
Your link doesn't work Suzy, but yes, it is fun. I went off course at every attempt :lol:

They will find it when they use the link I gave :thumbsup:

Suzy
12-06-2011, 01:42 AM
I've tried for half an hour to get it to land and have failed miserably.:mad2: And I'm only using "training mode". :rolleyes: First one that gets the trajectory right wins - who's game?! :D Go girl power I say to myself! (errr, after I've slept).:zzz2:

I have re-done the link for the game, but it's the same as Ken's anyway.:)

ballaratdragons
12-06-2011, 02:48 AM
I haven't gotten past 'Training' mode either :rofl:

Great pilots we make :P

ngcles
12-06-2011, 10:05 AM
Hi Suzy, Ken & All,

I parked that puppy on my fourth go. Come on, get your act together! :P


Best,

Les D

Suzy
13-06-2011, 01:05 AM
Show off... :P

ballaratdragons
13-06-2011, 01:13 AM
:sadeyes: I gave up after about 30 times :P

mswhin63
13-06-2011, 10:56 AM
I got it on the third time, BTW you do not land, It is gravity assist around the planet plus the contact to download data afterwards done after the second time.

Suzy
14-06-2011, 04:09 PM
Well done Malcolm! :thumbsup:
You're a show off too though. :P :lol:

Well, I still haven't gotten an email back from NASA (regarding miles traveled on clock by Voyager), sigh.. don't they know I'm a serious budding little astronomer :shrug: :mad2:.