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Voyager 1 is about to reach one light-day from Earth

scienceclock.com

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Re: Voyager 1 is about to reach one light-day from Earth

#261

Post by shagie »

rishabhaiover wrote: post #244
Sanzig wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Provided we don't wipe ourselves out, there's no technical reason why we can't go interstellar. It's just way harder and more energy intensive than most people imagine, so I doubt it's happening any time in the next few hundred years. But we already understand the physics and feasibility of "slow" (single-digit fractions of c ) interstellar propulsion systems. Nuclear pulse propulsion and fission fragment rockets req…

The child within me likes to dream and this is the dream I have!

PBS Space Time has a hoodie for that... (the T-shirts are sold out). https://crowdmade.com/collections/pbsspacetime/products/pbss...

Why Antimatter Engines Could Launch In Your Lifetime https://youtu.be/eA4X9P98ess (3 weeks ago) ... with that T-shirt. ... and the bit about theoretically possible warp drives (4 years ago) https://youtu.be/Vk5bxHetL4s

Re: Voyager 1 is about to reach one light-day from Earth

#262

Post by ohyoutravel »

blondie9x wrote: post #254

Have we ever fully realized the lessons of the "Pale blue dot" photo? When will we stop the wasteful fighting and over-consumption and finally embrace a cohesive sustainable lifestyle together to protect the only life we know of in the universe.

Yes, we fully realized the lessons and have stopped wasteful fighting and overconsumption and have embraced a cohesive, sustainable lifestyle to protect the only life we know of in the universe. It is wonderful.

Re: Voyager 1 is about to reach one light-day from Earth

#264

Post by shevy-java »

threethirtytwo wrote: post #88
glenstein wrote: post #30

Not that we would literally do this with Voyager, but it makes me wonder at the potential utility of a string of probes, one sent every couple of [insert correct time interval, decades, centuries?], to effectively create a communication relay stretching out into deep space somewhere. My understanding with the Voyagers 1 and 2 is (a) they will run out of power before they would ever get far enough to benefit from a re…

No one likes to think this but it’s very possible voyager is the farthest humanity will go. In fact realistically speaking it is the far more likeliest possibility.

No, that sounds wrong. I am sure future objects will go further.

Re: Voyager 1 is about to reach one light-day from Earth

#265

Post by jb1991 »

shevy-java wrote: post #263

Well - you gotta hurry up, buddy! > After nearly 50 years in space I mean, in the future this record will be broken, but right now this is quite epic. Go Voyager 1, go! Show that the movie a space odyssey was wrong about what's out there.

Voyager’s record time in space will actually be broken tomorrow.

Re: Voyager 1 is about to reach one light-day from Earth

#266

Post by rhaps0dy »

shevy-java wrote: post #264
threethirtytwo wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No one likes to think this but it’s very possible voyager is the farthest humanity will go. In fact realistically speaking it is the far more likeliest possibility.

No, that sounds wrong. I am sure future objects will go further.

Unless we go extinct. But I concur.

Re: Voyager 1 is about to reach one light-day from Earth

#267

Post by lurk2 »

threethirtytwo wrote: post #88
glenstein wrote: post #30

Not that we would literally do this with Voyager, but it makes me wonder at the potential utility of a string of probes, one sent every couple of [insert correct time interval, decades, centuries?], to effectively create a communication relay stretching out into deep space somewhere. My understanding with the Voyagers 1 and 2 is (a) they will run out of power before they would ever get far enough to benefit from a re…

No one likes to think this but it’s very possible voyager is the farthest humanity will go. In fact realistically speaking it is the far more likeliest possibility.

> In fact realistically speaking it is the far more likeliest possibility.

What insight do you have into this issue that would suggest this is true?

Re: Voyager 1 is about to reach one light-day from Earth

#268

Post by notahacker »

ojosilva wrote: post #260
stickfigure wrote: post #228

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or even explore with something nonbiological. Humans evolved to live on earth. Our bodies fare poorly in low gravity, not to mention vacuum. Given sufficiently advanced technology, I'm pretty sure we could evolve some form of intelligence better suited to the environment.

Not very encouraging to imagine ChatGPT to be the first earthling to reach another star system, but that's an option we'll have to keep on the table, at least for the time being...

I'm just imagining the first contact a human probe makes with an alien civilization consisting of a chatbot expaining to its alien interlocutors that Elon Musk is the best human, strongest human, funniest human, most attractive human and would definitely win in a fight with Urg the Destroyer of Galaxies... and I don't think I'm the first person to have that idea :)

Re: Voyager 1 is about to reach one light-day from Earth

#269

Post by polski-g »

pyrolistical wrote: post #232
polski-g wrote: post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Getting the travel time down to 500 years would be a reasonable goal. You'd ship embryos and caregiver robots, start breeding/raising people 30 years before you'd arrive.

Imagine being born and told your life has been determined by some other humans living a comfortable life with unlimited air and water. You are told you are to about make the great achievement humankind has ever made but all you want is a little bit more food and to take a shower.

Sometime people are born for greatness.

Re: Voyager 1 is about to reach one light-day from Earth

#270

Post by colechristensen »

glenstein wrote: post #30

Not that we would literally do this with Voyager, but it makes me wonder at the potential utility of a string of probes, one sent every couple of [insert correct time interval, decades, centuries?], to effectively create a communication relay stretching out into deep space somewhere. My understanding with the Voyagers 1 and 2 is (a) they will run out of power before they would ever get far enough to benefit from a re…

This is a link budget problem. A probe has to have a certain transmit power, receive sensitivity, physical size, fuel for orientation, etc. So you have to come up with the optimums there were it makes sense at all which isn't easy, especially compared to having one big station near earth that communicates point to point with the deep space whatever.

It might just have to be much too big to be worth it in the next n centuries.

If humans settle Mars it'll probably make sense to build one there for marginal improvement and better coverage with the different orbits of Earth and Mars.

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