Good they launched Voyager 1 before invention of Docker, Electron and NPM projects with thousands of padLefts.
As long as it doesn't auto-update it should be fine right? Just don't let those Aliens see that source code
Voyager 1 runs on 69 KB of memory and an 8-track tape recorder
191–200 of 276 posts
Re: Voyager 1 runs on 69 KB of memory and an 8-track tape recorder
#192Earlier quoted context omitted.
Won't ion engines power by something like Kilopower reactor let us do better?
Bunch of napkin math: you'd need something like 10 kilowatts and 140 km/s detla-v to catch up to Voyager in a decade, assuming a New Horizons equivalent Earth escape velocity. The amount of xenon is technically possible, however even assuming impressive 8000 Isp thrusters, your fuel mass fraction ends up being 90+% fuel which doesn't leave a lot of mass for that reactor and radiators. A 20 year intercept would be pre…
I understand that celestial mechanics are involved, because "stuff in space do not fly on straight lines", but why is the delta V budget 10x smaller for 2x more time? That feels counterintuitive :/
Re: Voyager 1 runs on 69 KB of memory and an 8-track tape recorder
#193Earlier quoted context omitted.
They are dangerous and reckless. They were also done in the name of humanity, but without humanity’s consent. I despise the naive scientists who did them as much as those who brought the damocletian sword of nuclear weapons on us.
Earth's "radio bubble" is well over 100 light years across now. If there are aliens out there, they are probably already on their way to ask us in person why Ross, the largest Friend, doesn't simply eat the others.
After the transition to digital TV our broadcasted signals mostly look like noise, though. Maybe an outside observer would assume that our civilization ended sometime in 2010.
Re: Voyager 1 runs on 69 KB of memory and an 8-track tape recorder
#194i wonder was there a hot debate on whether or not to include Golden record
Re: Voyager 1 runs on 69 KB of memory and an 8-track tape recorder
#195Earlier quoted context omitted.
James Webb Telescope is up there with Hubble.
The rovers on Mars as well and New Horizons that went to Pluto. That is also at escape velocity so it will leave this solar system and most likely no human will ever lay eyes on it again. Voy 1 and 2 are still faster but hey they're all going in different directions so it's not exactly a race.
Never is a long period of time. Most likely we will, unless we go extinct.
Re: Voyager 1 runs on 69 KB of memory and an 8-track tape recorder
#196Earlier quoted context omitted.
Relative to what, the US? I'd say the thirty wealthiest countries on the planet... except us.
How do you define wealthiest countries? Picking from top GDP per capita, I'm not sure that UAE or Qatar are countries to look up to.
At least they have a better healthcare system
Re: Voyager 1 runs on 69 KB of memory and an 8-track tape recorder
#197Earlier quoted context omitted.
They are dangerous and reckless. They were also done in the name of humanity, but without humanity’s consent. I despise the naive scientists who did them as much as those who brought the damocletian sword of nuclear weapons on us.
The chances of either Voyager ending up in the hands of intelligent aliens are remote compared to the chances of us blowing ourselves up. Be happy that there is at least a tiny possibility of a tombstone for a race which once upon a time aeons ago showed some promise. Personally I think they should have stuck a mummy in there.
They're not even wrong about both their complaints. The "damocletian sword of nuclear weapons" is actually what's been keeping humanity from setting the planet on fire for the past 60+ years.
Re: Voyager 1 runs on 69 KB of memory and an 8-track tape recorder
#198Very depressing to see this next to the "LinkedIn uses 2.4GB of RAM" post.
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Re: Voyager 1 runs on 69 KB of memory and an 8-track tape recorder
#199The thruster fix is the part that gets me. They sent a command that would either revive thrusters dead since 2004 or cause a catastrophic explosion, then waited 46 hours for the round trip with zero ability to intervene. That's a production deployment with no rollback, no monitoring dashboard, and a 23-hour latency on your logs. They nailed it.
That was ballsy! But, sadly, it was a temporary hack. Both Voyager have degrading, unfixable thrusters. The rubber diaphragms in the hydrazine fuel tanks are degrading, shedding silicon dioxide (i.e. sand) microparticles into the thruster fuel. These particles are gradually clogging the thruster nozzles and reducing their thrust. Eventually, thrust will decline to the point that they could fire the thrusters all day…
They're still functioning after ten times of the Voyager's projected lifetime, I can't call that an error.
Re: Voyager 1 runs on 69 KB of memory and an 8-track tape recorder
#200Earlier quoted context omitted.
Earth's "radio bubble" is well over 100 light years across now. If there are aliens out there, they are probably already on their way to ask us in person why Ross, the largest Friend, doesn't simply eat the others.
Radio signals do weaken and dissipate over time and space. Broadcast signals could fade into the cosmic microwave background in a few light years depending on their strength. The sci-fi trope of aliens picking up Earth tv and radio just isn't plausible.
Imagine how far technology has come in 100 years. Then imagine if the alien had just a 1 million year head start to technology. 1 million years is less than 1/1000 of the age of the universe earlier.
We have literally no idea what technology the alien could have.