Voyager I

tomarin · #1 Jun 21, '12, 12:19 pm

is about to leave the solar system, according to news reports. Just wondering, does anyone know what exactly is propelling the probe deeper and deeper into space? I read that it was sent on its journey by using the earth's gravitation field as a slingshot or some such. Does that mean it's just moving on its own momentum at this point? If so will it ever just come to a complete stop, due to the law of entropy?

Byrnwiga · #2 Jun 21, '12, 1:10 pm

Well, Voyager I has Twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/NASAVoyager), so you can find out exactly when.

As for propulsion, I believe it uses the larger planets to keep it moving along (gravity assist), so I'm guessing it will slow down at some point.

-Byrnwiga

ora_pro_nobis · #3 Jun 21, '12, 1:39 pm

I remember when it was launched 30 odd years ago. Wow, just shows you how vast the solar system is!

**Dale_M** · #4 Jun 21, '12, 1:47 pm

It seems that it won't stop for a good long time. Voyager I is currently traveling at 15 km/s . And, given the density of outer space, there isn't much resistance to slow it down.

This is from the Voyager mission website:

Quote:

The Voyagers have enough electrical power and thruster fuel to operate at least until 2020. By that time, Voyager 1 will be 12.4 billion miles (19.9 billion KM) from the Sun and Voyager 2 will be 10.5 billion miles (16.9 billion KM) away. Eventually, the Voyagers will pass other stars. In about 40,000 years, Voyager 1 will drift within 1.6 light years (9.3 trillion miles) of AC+79 3888, a star in the constellation of Camelopardalis. In some 296,000 years, Voyager 2 will pass 4.3 light years (25 trillion miles) from Sirius, the brightest star in the sky . The Voyagers are destined—perhaps eternally—to wander the Milky Way.

http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/interstellar.html

tomarin · #5 Jun 21, '12, 1:51 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dale_M

It seems that it won't stop for a good long time. Voyager I is currently traveling at 15 km/s . And, given the density of outer space, there isn't much resistance to slow it down.

This is from the Voyager mission website:

http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/interstellar.html

Okay, so it does have thrusters. Powered by electrical batteries, apparently. Thanks, Dale, you seem to have answers for everything. You're not a reference librarian by any chance are you?

tomarin · #6 Jun 21, '12, 1:55 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by ora_pro_nobis

I remember when it was launched 30 odd years ago. Wow, just shows you how vast the solar system is!

Not only that, the NPR article I read said that it passed Jupiter in 1979 and is only now leaving the outer boundary of the solar system, or heliopause, where solar winds die out completely. So assuming it's traveling at a steady rate, which it appears to be according to Dale, that means the bit between Jupiter and the end of the solar system is much larger than the inner part where the non-gas giants are (if it takes over 30 years to traverse it).

**JharekCarnelian** · #7 Jun 21, '12, 1:56 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomarin

Not only that, the NPR article I read said that it passed Jupiter in 1979 and is only now leaving the outer boundary of the solar system, or heliopause, where solar winds die out completely. So assuming it's traveling at a steady rate, which it appears to be according to Dale, that means the bit between Jupiter and the end of the solar system is much larger than the inner part where the non-gas giants are.

It's battery life is finite though and it's expected to have insufficient power to keep any instrument active shortly after 2025. Sometime before that NASA intends to shut down it's remaining active instruments one by one.

MarkThompson · #8 Jun 21, '12, 1:57 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomarin

is about to leave the solar system, according to news reports. Just wondering, does anyone know what exactly is propelling the probe deeper and deeper into space? I read that it was sent on its journey by using the earth's gravitation field as a slingshot or some such. Does that mean it's just moving on its own momentum at this point? If so will it ever just come to a complete stop, due to the law of entropy?

It is now just moving on its own momentum. "Entropy" as such won't affect it, but over millions of years drag caused by the interstellar medium will bring it to a stop, provided nothing else happens to it first. Stars (and planets) are so far apart that it is essentially certain Voyager will never hit one.

Luigi Daniele · #9 Jun 21, '12, 1:59 pm

It will take many lifetimes before it runs into Nomad and gives the future Kirk a whole bunch of problems

tomarin · #10 Jun 21, '12, 2:00 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkThompson

Stars (and planets) are so far apart that it is essentially certain Voyager will never hit one.

Well that I knew. That would be like throwing a dart into a museum with a few balloons scattered about in it and expecting the dart to hit one.

**JharekCarnelian** · #11 Jun 21, '12, 2:02 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luigi Daniele

It will take many lifetimes before it runs into Nomad and gives the future Kirk a whole bunch of problems

At least that was Kirk, not this idiotic current version in the reboot which feels like teenagers in space at times.

tomarin · #12 Jun 21, '12, 2:03 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by JharekCarnelian

It's battery life is finite though and it's expected to have insufficient power to keep any instrument active shortly after 2025. Sometime before that NASA intends to shut down it's remaining active instruments one by one.

I know it's an inanimate object but it's almost sad in a beautiful way to think about how truly alone it is.

It would be cool if there were just enough energy to play via speakers mounted outside a Strauss waltz or "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" on an endless loop (provided one could actually hear sound in space).

tomarin · #13 Jun 21, '12, 2:05 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by JharekCarnelian

At least that was Kirk, not this idiotic current version in the reboot which feels like teenagers in space at times.

Dawson's Interstellar Space-time Nexus?

**GEddie** · #14 Jun 21, '12, 2:10 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomarin

is about to leave the solar system, according to news reports. Just wondering, does anyone know what exactly is propelling the probe deeper and deeper into space? I read that it was sent on its journey by using the earth's gravitation field as a slingshot or some such. Does that mean it's just moving on its own momentum at this point? If so will it ever just come to a complete stop, due to the law of entropy?

It was given enough speed, when launched, that it would coast to the outer planets; and the gravity of each planet gave it enough of a "push" that it finally climbed out of the sun's gravitational pull.

Since it has no more fuel, it is just coasting now on it's momentum.

It is losing speed all the time, but will be captured by another star (or hit something) before it ever comes to a stop.

ICXC NIKA

shainski · #15 Jun 21, '12, 2:12 pm

well from newton's laws

"Every object continues in its state of rest, or of uniform motion in a straight line, unless compelled to change that state by external forces acted upon it"

So if an object is moving - it will continue to move at it's current speed and direction unless some force changes it.

On earth, we have the force of the air and friction to stop us from moving. But not so in space.

It will keep moving until it hits something. At somepoint, some gravitational force may alter its direction