Voyager Status, What is it? |
Voyager Status, What is it? |
Dec 6 2006, 05:48 AM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 428 Joined: 21-August 06 From: Northern Virginia Member No.: 1062 |
Anyone know the latest Voyager status? I've hear rumors, but I'm wondering if anyone has anything more concrete (I won't share the rumors, as I really don't know much about it, so...)
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May 1 2007, 12:50 AM
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#2
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Member Group: Members Posts: 754 Joined: 9-February 07 Member No.: 1700 |
My earlier question pertained to whether any of Voyagers' operating instruments might pick up an indication of a distant KBO or even some wandering interstellar object of significant proportions. Pioneer may have already captured the prize, having possibly been deflected by an undiscovered KBO at around 8Bn km. It was affected by the object in 1992, and it took 7 years to figure out what might have happened.
I realize my original question is just a speculative exercise in a fantastic "what if", but here's what I've found in a quick search: I read through the VIM proposal for the 2005 NASA funding review. As mentioned above and in other Voyager threads, the only devices left on are for measuring helioshperic and extraheliospheric features. "The entire Voyager 2 scan platform, including all of the platform instruments, was powered down in 1998. All platform instruments on Voyager 1, except UVS, have been powered down. The Voyager 1 scan platform was scheduled to go off-line in late 2000, but has been left on at the request of the UVS investigator (with the concurrence of the Science Steering Group) to investigate excess in UV from the upwind direction. The PLS experiment on Voyager 1 which had been turned off in 2000 to provide power to extend UVS lifetime, was turned on again in 2004 when there was evidence that the spacecraft was in the vicinity of the 26 termination shock. UVS data are still captured, but scans are no longer possible." While it seems unlikely for the Voyagers at 100 AU to closely encounter any KBO's, they'll be in the KBO neighborhood for a long time -- Sedna's 10,000 year orbit takes it out to 900AU! As to whether either Voyager craft could maneuver towards a newly-discovered object: "The thrusters currently in use are expected to last the rest of any mission projection. Nearly 1/3 of the original propellant remains available." While they're only using thrusters to keep the craft in optimal contact with earth, it is kind of amazing how much fuel is left. They sure saved a lot of juice using the "Grand Alignment" of the outer planets for gravity-assists to sling-shot the Voyagers out of the solar system! Real world note: One of the many compelling reasons to keep the program alive is that the Voyager craft are making the first beyond-the-shock measurements of Radio Wave events generated during the declining phases of solar cycles. I have the mental image of the Voyager craft being the first to measure waves lapping at the shore of the "lake" that is the solar system. |
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