Voyager Status, What is it? Options

[mcaplinger]

And as for Voyager... they just tossed it? I mean, Voyager's not that big, and storage is cheap...

Storage is not as plentiful as you might think on the JPL campus. It could easily be in some off-site storage where no one can find it (think the last scene of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK) and probably non-functional if it could be found.

From https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/1988006...5_Optimized.pdf

The original software development for the data computer has essentially been a two-man show since 1975, beginning when Edgar
M. Blizzard joined Richard Rice to develop the flight version of the code. Others have been involved in testing and management, but these two JPL engineers have been the key programmers for the entire mission to date. They sit in the same area as the "Laboratory Test Set," an
Interdata computer and peripherals that contain the software simulator of the data computer and the assembler and flight load generator. Across from them is the CDL, the loose conglomeration of hardware that represents the real spacecraft.

You want to bet on the chances of an Interdata computer from 1975 still being in working order? I did find emulator support for the Interdata and data files for the Interdata operating system, but finding and reading the unique Voyager software on old tapes if they still exist might be a challenge. Even if anyone knows how those tools work any more.

It is a little surprising that they didn't plan ahead for this a bit better, but it's understandable.

[Floyd]

mcaplinger the PDF you linked is amazing reading. Thank you for posting.

[HSchirmer]

You want to bet on the chances of an Interdata computer from 1975 still being in working order?
... finding and reading the unique Voyager software on old tapes if they still exist might be a challenge. Even if anyone knows how those tools work any more.

<GRIN>Yikes, that brings back memories of my father bringing home giant spools from an IBM 360 to work on over the weekend, and me as a little kid looking up references for him in a 4-inch thick IBM binder.
"Mom, is COBOL a curse word?" "Sometimes dear, sometimes when your father uses it..."

[stevesliva]

It is a little surprising that they didn't plan ahead for this a bit better, but it's understandable.

Yes. But the "open in case of emergency" kit that I'm envisioning prob still wouldn't have a working emulator. Might be something more like several "phone home" FDS OS versions that each used subsets of the FDS registers/SRAM, that could be loaded relatively quickly, and tried.

(I am actually somewhat surprised that the "died in 1981" side of the FDS wasn't better diagnosed in that sort of way. I guess in 1981 they presumed they would still have the expertise to so something like develop a modified OS if they needed to cross that bridge, and never did. Or maybe it was diagnosed, and plans to workaround whiteboarded, and forgotten.)

Also, I second what Floyd wrote above. The book from the NTRS site is great reading. So thanks again.

[mcaplinger]

It might still be garbage (probably is), but DSS-63 Madrid is receiving at 40 bps from Voyager 1 right now.

[stevesliva]

NPR had some more color on this, yesterday:
https://www.npr.org/2024/03/06/1236033493/n...rth-are-worried

No news except perhaps reconfirmation that they're trying mild commanding well before anything drastic, so perhaps expect this to take a long long while.

[climber]

It looks like we have encouraging progress (sorry for the very long link) : https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2024/03/09...9o_t4ctexhFHAQM

[Tom Tamlyn]

From the article: "Today, the Voyager team consists of only 12 full-time employees."

Interesting. Somehow I had gotten the notion that Voyager was no longer a full-time job for anyone, except, of course, when there's a problem. I guess that's incorrect?

[mcaplinger]

Somehow I had gotten the notion that Voyager was no longer a full-time job for anyone, except, of course, when there's a problem. I guess that's incorrect?

Either the article is wrong or your notion was, yes.

I don't find it hard to believe that they have 12 FTEs just at JPL for routine ops for the two spacecraft. They have to manage DSN scheduling, build uplink, process downlink, generate PDS archives, etc. And I presume that there are other people at the instrument institutions involved also, though maybe not full-time.

[deedan06]

Well they still need a permanent team to deal with the dwindling power supply, even if it takes years, the measurements to extend their lifespans are probably extremely well calculated. And you need at least some guys to maintain base knowledge of the probe.

[mcaplinger]

Voyager costs $5-7M per year according to the 2024 NASA budget request https://www.nasa.gov/nasa-fiscal-year-2024-budget-request/
I expect most of that is for labor, not sure how DSN time is accounted for.

[djellison]

Also it's worth noting - the phrase " 12 full time employees " may not mean 12 people who are full time on Voyager. FTE is a unit of currency for work like this. 12 'full time employees' might be......4 people working 100% on Voyager, 8 people working 50% on Voyager, and 16 people working 25% on Voyager.

As an example - I know the power lead for both MSL and M20 also works on Voyager.

[Tom Tamlyn]

12 'full time employees' might be......4 people working 100% on Voyager, 8 people working 50% on Voyager, and 16 people working 25% on Voyager.

That makes sense (and I realize that it's an example, not the actual roster of the Voyager team).

I knew that there are people "permanently" assigned to Voyager, but I assumed that all of them -- or all but a few -- also had regular responsibilities for other missions or projects.

This post has been edited by Tom Tamlyn: Mar 14 2024, 12:04 AM

[Bernard1963]

Well, this is looking more hopeful than I was expecting. V1 has provided a full memory read out of the FDS, presumably missing framing / sync so it took a bit of work to pull it out of the data stream. https://blogs.nasa.gov/sunspot/?fbclid=IwAR...3K_Q5h4e4iY3tyc

[Explorer1]

There's a 2022 documentary about the team that's very informative. Not sure if anyone else here has watched it, but good for insight into the current goings-on.