Machine Design
  • Resources
  • Members
  • Directory
  • Webinars
  • WISE
  • CAD Models
  • Advertise
    • Search
  • 3D Printing & CAD
  • AUTOMATION & IIOT
  • Robotics
  • Motion Systems
  • Materials
  • Video
  • Data Sheets
  • Topics
    Industry Markets3D Printing & CADAutomation & IIoTFastening & JoiningMaterialsMechanical & Motion Systems Medical DesignRobotics
    Resources
    Machine Design ResourcesWISE (Workers in Science & Engineering)Company DirectorySearch Data SheetsContributeDigital Edition ArchivesCSIA Exchange
    Members
    ContentBenefitsSubscribe
    Advertise
    https://www.facebook.com/MachineDesignMagazine/
    https://www.linkedin.com/company/10998894
    https://twitter.com/MachineDesign
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXKEiQ9dob20rIqTA7ONfJg
    Machinedesign 3137 Missionimagetop 0
    1. Home

    35 and Counting: Happy birthday, Voyagers!

    Sept. 5, 2012
    As many who read these columns know, NASA has been basking in accolades over their latest scientific coup of landing the Mars Science Laboratory, aka Curiosity, on the Red Planet kicking off 2 years of exploration in search of the building blocks of ...
    Robert Repas Blog

    As many who read these columns know, NASA has been basking in accolades over their latest scientific coup of landing the Mars Science Laboratory, aka Curiosity, on the Red Planet kicking off 2 years of exploration in search of the building blocks of life. But few remember earlier missions that laid the groundwork for Curiosity.

    Today marks the 35th anniversary of the grandest exploration mission of all -- and it's still exploring. Voyager 1 launched September 5, 1977, from Cape Canaveral, followed the trail laid by Voyager 2 that had launched 2 weeks earlier. Now, 35 years later, both crafts are still sending their scientific measurements back to earth, a trip that takes radio waves over 18 hours of travel time from their present positions.

    The twin spacecraft were designed to explore Jupiter and Saturn where they made a string of discoveries including active volcanoes on Jupiter's moon Io and the intricacies of Saturn's rings. Voyager 1 continued on its path, but Voyager 2 was commanded to use Saturn's gravity to slingshot it on to Uranus and Neptune, the only spacecraft to reach those planets. They completed their mission through the solar system with such success, that NASA gave them a new mission: an interstellar mission.

    The Voyager Interstellar Mission (VIM) extends NASA's exploration of the solar system beyond the neighborhood of the outer planets to the outer limits of the Sun's sphere of influence, known as the heliosphere. Both craft are now in an area of space called the heliosheath. Here, interstellar particles impact the solar wind from our sun, forming a skin-like effect of cosmic particles around our entire solar system. Data recently sent back shows Voyager 1 may be entering the heliopause, the point where the solar and interstellar winds meet. The width of the heliopause is unknown, something scientists hope the Voyagers will help them measure. Current thought is that it will only take a few years to transit. Once through, the Voyagers will become the first man-made objects to travel in the space between the stars. It's hoped this will happen before 2020, the year the crafts run out of the hydrazine fuel that controls attitude and provides electrical power through fuel cells.

    The technology of the Voyagers dates from the early 70's. For example, there are six computers total on each craft, two each of three different types. Each type controls a specific aspect of Voyager operations: the computer command system, the flight data system, and the attitude and articulation control system. Between them all, they carry a whopping 68 KB of memory! That's not a typo: Kilobytes it is. By comparison, the iPad today is minimally 100,000x more powerful than all of the computers on Voyager combined.

    Curiosity may have the spotlight now, but Voyager 1 and 2 are truly going where no man-made craft has gone before.

    Blog Machinedesign Com Machine Design Blogs Wp Content Uploads 2012 09 Missionimage Top

    Continue Reading

    Pushing the Limits of Drone Capabilities

    Changemakers: Expanding our Understanding of the STEM Field

    Sponsored Recommendations

    Schmersal Product Demo: SLC BLE

    Oct. 31, 2023

    Safety Light Curtain Alignment 101

    Oct. 31, 2023

    Schmersal on Machine Safety: Manual Reset

    Oct. 31, 2023

    Please update your browser

    Oct. 31, 2023

    Voice your opinion!

    To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Machine Design, create an account today!

    I already have an account

    New

    Cobots Double Weld Grinding Efficiency Without Replacing Human Know-How

    R&D Spotlight: Inventing Wearable Sensors that Monitor Uric Acid in Sweat

    FAQ: Why Should You Incorporate Push-In Terminals in Your Next DIN Rail Application?

    Most Read

    How Much Should a Bolted Joint be Tightened?

    FAQ: Why Should You Incorporate Push-In Terminals in Your Next DIN Rail Application?

    The Potential Benefits of 3D-Printed Prototypes

    Sponsored

    UNDERSTANDING TERMINAL BLOCKS USED IN DISTRIBUTED

    communication, predictive maintenance, and safety.

    : Is there a difference between e-stops and regular stop switches?

    Machine Design
    https://www.facebook.com/MachineDesignMagazine/
    https://www.linkedin.com/company/10998894
    https://twitter.com/MachineDesign
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXKEiQ9dob20rIqTA7ONfJg
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Do Not Sell or Share
    • Privacy & Cookie Policy
    • Terms of Service
    © 2023 Endeavor Business Media, LLC. All rights reserved.
    Endeavor Business Media Logo