Voyager 1 still transmitting data from the edge of the Solar system

[stevetynant]

http://www.universetoday.com/95844/voyager-1-breaking-through-the-borders-of-the-solar-system/

I just find this absolutely incredible and a testament to mans ingenuity. Voyager 1 launched in 1977 and travelling at 35,000 miles per hours is only now some 35 years later reaching the edge of our solar system but still working and still transmitting data back to Earth. I would imagine the processors on the average smart phone today would far exceed the computational ability of this tiny probe but what an acheivement.

Who knows what we'll find out there but t must surely be one of the most important science experiments ever sent from the Earth now.

data streams take over 16 hrs to reach Earth - will we ever see its like again in our lifetime?

Quite amazing.

[garethmob]

we will it was fortold in a scientific documentary about a space probe called v...ger but luckly the day was saved by a crew of the highest order :grin:

it is fantastic that its still going though for a misson to last 5 years. 35 years later a testiment to the enginears of the time!

[Stargazing_Cliff]

It is amazing how that technology still working! i was age 4 when that was launched.

[Ponoobersie]

I wasnt even born when this went up! wow! that is some amazing stuff though.

What sort of data does it dent back?

Also to be traveling at those speeds and to take 35 years to get there but the data only take 16hours!! thats some speed right there with the data hey.

[AstroTux]

I remember we were discussing this craft just a couple of years after it was launched and everyone was amazed back then.

If I remember right ( and I am getting on a bit, so I might not ), all the electronic boards in the craft were repeated four ( or five ) times and each board was given the same tasks to perform. If one board came up with a different answer to the others, they would disable it ensuring that all the systems in the craft had full redundancy built in.

I seem to remember that the computational power comes from the original Intel 4004 bit-slice microprocessor, the forerunner to the 8086 ( and Z80 ) which was used in the very first personal computers of the late '70s - early '80s.

It just goes to show that good engineering does not need masses of power and speed, just a little bit of thought.

[garethmob]

does any one know in what shape the actual signals sent back are sent in?

and how they are interpretated

also does the origional nasa control room still run them or is it a more modern one?

[farunj]

This shows mans ingenuity!!! What a great achievement!! What sort of data does it send back?? I mean pictures or graphs or what?

[Zakalwe]

If I remember right ( and I am getting on a bit, so I might not ), all the electronic boards in the craft were repeated four ( or five ) times and each board was given the same tasks to perform. If one board came up with a different answer to the others, they would disable it ensuring that all the systems in the craft had full redundancy built in.

I seem to remember that the computational power comes from the original Intel 4004 bit-slice microprocessor, the forerunner to the 8086 ( and Z80 ) which was used in the very first personal computers of the late '70s - early '80s.

It just goes to show that good engineering does not need masses of power and speed, just a little bit of thought.

Similar "voting" systems have been implemented before. The Saturn v rocket had an Instrumentation Unit that carried multiple redundant systems that "voted" on what the sensors where reading. For example, in an abort situation, 2 out of 3 computers had to agree to abort before the command was initiated.

I believe that similar systems are used in aviation "fly-by-wire" systems. Incidentally, one of the AGC (Apollo Guidance Computers) embedded systems was used to develop FBW systems by NASA. They used an AGC, complete with a very redundant DSKY interface, in a Crusader F8 test vehicle.

And you are most certainly correct about what can be achieved by tight coding and "limited" resources.

These autonomous flying robots are built with a 16 Mhz micro-controller and a tiny amount of memory, yet they are able to fly, sense their environment, "swarm" and act co-operatively.

[Monty]

I remember the launch of Voyager 2 and 1 like yesterday, I was reading Carl Sagan at the time. To me it was and still is the greatest space age achievement so far.

Apollo was daring but the Voyagers are magnificent. Look a what they've done with the budget of their day and technology, surely the number one contenders for the best value for money project ever.

[Tinker1947]

I think i read someplace, the power core it due to expire around 2025,,,,

This

http://www.gizmag.com/voyager-1-spacecraft-edge-of-solar-system/17285/

[SkyJamie]

The Voyager probes are amazing and them small robots that fly are crazy lol

[Mak One]

Nice to think I was about (just!) when man took his giant leap and walked on the Moon, and (all being well) will also witness the first foray into interstellar space by this amazing craft.

Interested to know how they'll tell when it has made it, as according to the article in July's Sky at Night magazine the often cited "bow shock" of the heliosphere meeting the interstellar medium doesn't exist...

[glowjet]

To me it brings the thought of space travel to mind, well at this time in the earth's History at least, the unit has travelled some 11 billion miles and taken 35 years and is about to reach the edge of our solar system, if you think of that as our home then its just reached the front door as it were, in terms of space not very far at all, but what a brilliant engineering achievement

John.

[Wobbly Bob]

I too remember the voyager missions and the data sent back as they traveled through our solar system, it is truly remarkable that one is still sendeng back data 35yrs on.

[keeplookingup]

If we do not burn ourselves up, in a 1,000 years someone will look back and see how well we did on these crafts. 35 years! that is great.

I couldn't find any real pictures from voyager 1. so if you got some links please post them.

this "boundary" it is reaching seems to be the door to outside our solar system.

well, its about time! I recall when they were launched. I was 10.

to boldly go where no man has gone before..........for real

where is Picard and Data when you need them? hehe

[M4lcs67]

The numbers are totally mindboggling to us mear humans. Just goes to show how vast the universe is.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I remember the Voyager and Pioneer launches. Some seriously good engineering went into those probes. Thumbs up to the engineers involved!