Author Topic: NASA - Voyager 1 and 2 updates  (Read 173136 times)

Offline V-2

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Re: NASA - Voyager 1 and 2 updates
« Reply #160 on: 03/25/2017 03:59 pm »
And this year (come Summer) marks the incredible 40th Anniversary of the little space probes-that-could. Crazy to think they were launched an entire decade prior to my birth. Absolute nails. I'm also ridiculously envious of those who got to experience and enjoy the endless list of achievements to their name as they were happening.

JPL has practically written the book - literally and figuratively - on interplanetary space exploration with the design and operation of the spacecraft they're responsible for as well as the network to track and communicate with them, but this flagship mission here undoubtedly takes the cake. It's so endearing to see them still listed as a current/active mission all these decades on and to still have their original Project Scientist, Professor Edward C. Stone maintaining a position he's held since 1972, five years prior to launch.

From returning more scientific data by 1989 than you could fill 6,000 editions of Encyclopedia Britannica with, to accomplishing the famed Grand Tour of outer planetary exploration with gusto including being the first-and-only direct exploration of both Uranus and Neptune, to being the first-and-only probe(s) to cross into Interstellar Space, providing the legend and unforgettable perspective that is 'The Pale Blue Dot', to the raw touch of humanity they carry on board to the stars with the Golden Record.

I'd highly recommend the short documentary (45 Min) aired by SCI last year if you haven't seen it yet. I'm not necessarily the biggest fan of the entertainment-first approach to some of their material, but they absolutely nailed this IMO, just massively inspiring stuff all-around.




« Last Edit: 03/25/2017 04:45 pm by V-2 »

Offline fthomassy

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Re: NASA - Voyager 1 and 2 updates
« Reply #161 on: 03/25/2017 10:46 pm »
Welcome!  Thanks for the excellent first post V-2.
gyatm . . . Fern

Offline MATTBLAK

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Re: NASA - Voyager 1 and 2 updates
« Reply #162 on: 03/25/2017 11:28 pm »
The Voyagers were amazing achievements - pushing the then state-of-the-art for deep space communications, navigation and automation. Pushing the boundaries and then busting right through those boundaries!
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Offline Archibald

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Re: NASA - Voyager 1 and 2 updates
« Reply #163 on: 03/26/2017 07:56 am »
With the passing of Chuck Berry this week, it should be reminded that both Voyager are carrying Johnny B. Goode into the galaxy, thanks to Carl Sagan.
« Last Edit: 03/26/2017 07:56 am by Archibald »
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Offline AegeanBlue

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Re: NASA - Voyager 1 and 2 updates
« Reply #164 on: 04/25/2017 06:46 pm »
NASA’s Cassini, Voyager Missions Suggest New Picture of Sun’s Interaction with Galaxy

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/nasa-s-cassini-voyager-missions-suggest-new-picture-of-sun-s-interaction-with-galaxy

The Greek solar (sorry, need to stop here for a second and just say that I have to use stupid words to get my point across. I know that means I must have a weak argument, but that's why I use bad words). strikes again

Offline Ben the Space Brit

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Re: NASA - Voyager 1 and 2 updates
« Reply #165 on: 04/26/2017 09:30 am »
That's an interesting revelation re.: the solar magnetic field and its interaction with the galactic magnetic field.

Maybe someone with a better understanding of this field can answer but does this mean that the difference in 'velocities' between the sun and the galactic magnetic field are higher and lower than previously theorised? In either case, what implications would there be for interstellar travel in both technical and flight environment terms? After all, a high-energy interstellar medium could be far more dangerous in terms of high-energy heavy metal nuclei being focussed along the field lines.
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Online jacqmans

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Re: NASA - Voyager 1 and 2 updates
« Reply #166 on: 08/01/2017 09:39 am »
July 31, 2017
RELEASE 17-068

NASA’s Voyager Spacecraft Still Reaching for the Stars After 40 Years

Humanity’s farthest and longest-lived spacecraft, Voyager 1 and 2, achieve 40 years of operation and exploration this August and September. Despite their vast distance, they continue to communicate with NASA daily, still probing the final frontier.

Their story has not only impacted generations of current and future scientists and engineers, but also Earth’s culture, including film, art and music. Each spacecraft carries a Golden Record of Earth sounds, pictures and messages. Since the spacecraft could last billions of years, these circular time capsules could one day be the only traces of human civilization.

“I believe that few missions can ever match the achievements of the Voyager spacecraft during their four decades of exploration,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) at NASA Headquarters. “They have educated us to the unknown wonders of the universe and truly inspired humanity to continue to explore our solar system and beyond.”

The Voyagers have set numerous records in their unparalleled journeys. In 2012, Voyager 1, which launched on Sept. 5, 1977, became the only spacecraft to have entered interstellar space. Voyager 2, launched on Aug. 20, 1977, is the only spacecraft to have flown by all four outer planets – Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Their numerous planetary encounters include discovering the first active volcanoes beyond Earth, on Jupiter’s moon Io; hints of a subsurface ocean on Jupiter’s moon Europa; the most Earth-like atmosphere in the solar system, on Saturn’s moon Titan; the jumbled-up, icy moon Miranda at Uranus; and icy-cold geysers on Neptune's moon Triton.

Though the spacecraft have left the planets far behind – and neither will come remotely close to another star for 40,000 years – the two probes still send back observations about conditions where our Sun's influence diminishes and interstellar space begins.

Voyager 1, now almost 13 billion miles from Earth, travels through interstellar space northward out of the plane of the planets. The probe has informed researchers that cosmic rays, atomic nuclei accelerated to nearly the speed of light, are as much as four times more abundant in interstellar space than in the vicinity of Earth. This means the heliosphere, the bubble-like volume containing our solar system's planets and solar wind, effectively acts as a radiation shield for the planets. Voyager 1 also hinted that the magnetic field of the local interstellar medium is wrapped around the heliosphere.

Voyager 2, now almost 11 billion miles from Earth, travels south and is expected to enter interstellar space in the next few years. The different locations of the two Voyagers allow scientists to compare right now two regions of space where the heliosphere interacts with the surrounding interstellar medium using instruments that measure charged particles, magnetic fields, low-frequency radio waves and solar wind plasma. Once Voyager 2 crosses into the interstellar medium, they will also be able to sample the medium from two different locations simultaneously.

"None of us knew, when we launched 40 years ago, that anything would still be working, and continuing on this pioneering journey," said Ed Stone, Voyager project scientist based at Caltech in Pasadena, California. "The most exciting thing they find in the next five years is likely to be something that we didn't know was out there to be discovered."

The twin Voyagers have been cosmic overachievers, thanks to the foresight of mission designers. By preparing for the radiation environment at Jupiter, the harshest of all planets in our solar system, the spacecraft were well equipped for their subsequent journeys. Both Voyagers are equipped with long-lasting power supplies, as well as redundant systems that allow the spacecraft to switch to backup systems autonomously when necessary. Each Voyager carries three radioisotope thermoelectric generators, devices that use the heat energy generated from the decay of plutonium-238 – only half of it will be gone after 88 years.

Space is almost empty, so the Voyagers are not at a significant level of risk of bombardment by large objects. However, Voyager 1's interstellar space environment is not a complete void. It’s filled with clouds of dilute material remaining from stars that exploded as supernovae millions of years ago. This material doesn’t pose a danger to the spacecraft, but is a key part of the environment that the Voyager mission is helping scientists study and characterize.

Because the Voyagers' power decreases by four watts per year, engineers are learning how to operate the spacecraft under ever-tighter power constraints. And to maximize the Voyagers' lifespans, they also have to consult documents written decade’s earlier describing commands and software, in addition to the expertise of former Voyager engineers.

"The technology is many generations old, and it takes someone with 1970s design experience to understand how the spacecraft operate and what updates can be made to permit them to continue operating today and into the future," said Suzanne Dodd, Voyager project manager based at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California.

Team members estimate they will have to turn off the last science instrument by 2030. However, even after the spacecraft go silent, they’ll continue on their trajectories at their present speed of more than 30,000 mph (48,280 kilometers per hour), completing an orbit within the Milky Way every 225 million years.

The Voyager spacecraft were built by JPL, which continues to operate both. The Voyager missions are part of the NASA Heliophysics System Observatory, sponsored by the Heliophysics Division of SMD.

For more information about the Voyager spacecraft, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/voyager

and

https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov

Offline Star One

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Re: NASA - Voyager 1 and 2 updates
« Reply #167 on: 08/04/2017 07:59 pm »
The Loyal Engineers Steering NASA’s Voyager Probes Across the Universe

Quote
As the Voyager mission is winding down, so, too, are the careers of the aging explorers who expanded our sense of home in the galaxy.

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/08/03/magazine/the-loyal-engineers-steering-nasas-voyager-probes-across-the-universe.html

Offline LouScheffer

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Re: NASA - Voyager 1 and 2 updates
« Reply #168 on: 08/05/2017 02:40 am »
Tangled Bank Studios, the educational film arm of Howard Hughes Medical Institute, has made "The Farthest—Voyager in Space", a video about Voyager for its 40th anniversary.  It's mostly about the human element, and the thrill of discovery, with sessions with many of the principal designers and operators (those still alive, of course, plus some who are dead, such as Carl Sagan). It also has lots of old videos of building, launch, and operation.  The main point, as I saw it, was how unexpected each of the planets, and particularly the many moons, turned out to be - most folks were expecting cold, dead worlds like the Earth's moon, but the discoveries could not have been more different.  For those not old enough the remember, it was like New Horizons times 4, as they went past each planet in turn.

Offline catdlr

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Re: NASA - Voyager 1 and 2 updates
« Reply #169 on: 08/05/2017 02:51 am »
Tangled Bank Studios, the educational film arm of Howard Hughes Medical Institute, has made "The Farthest—Voyager in Space", a video about Voyager for its 40th anniversary.  It's mostly about the human element, and the thrill of discovery, with sessions with many of the principal designers and operators (those still alive, of course, plus some who are dead, such as Carl Sagan). It also has lots of old videos of building, launch, and operation.  The main point, as I saw it, was how unexpected each of the planets, and particularly the many moons, turned out to be - most folks were expecting cold, dead worlds like the Earth's moon, but the discoveries could not have been more different.  For those not old enough the remember, it was like New Horizons times 4, as they went past each planet in turn.

Premieres Wednesday, August 23 9/8c on PBS (USA)

http://www.pbs.org/the-farthest/home/
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Offline david1971

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Re: NASA - Voyager 1 and 2 updates
« Reply #170 on: 08/05/2017 02:58 am »
The Loyal Engineers Steering NASA’s Voyager Probes Across the Universe

Quote
As the Voyager mission is winding down, so, too, are the careers of the aging explorers who expanded our sense of home in the galaxy.

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/08/03/magazine/the-loyal-engineers-steering-nasas-voyager-probes-across-the-universe.html

I was interested in this tidbit: "The three antenna dishes big enough to register them are shared, so Voyager gets only four to six hours of reception time per spacecraft per day; outside these often odd windows, their data dissipate into the ether. "

Does the DSN really give 8-12 hours of dish time a day to the Voyagers? 
I flew on SOFIA four times.

Offline ChrisGebhardt

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Re: NASA - Voyager 1 and 2 updates
« Reply #171 on: 08/05/2017 03:12 am »
The Loyal Engineers Steering NASA’s Voyager Probes Across the Universe

Quote
As the Voyager mission is winding down, so, too, are the careers of the aging explorers who expanded our sense of home in the galaxy.

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/08/03/magazine/the-loyal-engineers-steering-nasas-voyager-probes-across-the-universe.html

I was interested in this tidbit: "The three antenna dishes big enough to register them are shared, so Voyager gets only four to six hours of reception time per spacecraft per day; outside these often odd windows, their data dissipate into the ether. "

Does the DSN really give 8-12 hours of dish time a day to the Voyagers? 

What's great is this caused me to go to the DSN page to see the current activity, and three dishes at Goldstone are current receiving and transmitting to Voyager 1. 

In terms of 8-10 hours per day, I'd venture that on average that's right and varies by day and what other operation/communication is taking place that might take precedence.

Good point here is that each of the three DSN locations have multiple dishes, so each location can multitask, as seen in the attachment.
« Last Edit: 08/05/2017 03:12 am by ChrisGebhardt »

Offline AegeanBlue

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Re: NASA - Voyager 1 and 2 updates
« Reply #172 on: 08/05/2017 07:12 am »
I have started a thread in the historical section looking for videos of the press conferences of the original planetary encounters of the Voyagers

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=43513.0

While there are live encounter videos from Uranus 1986 online, the only daily press conferences I found where those of Neptune 1989 from CSPAN and the Pale Blue Dot press conference of 1990. I did put though some 1980s historical NASA videos relating to the Voyagers at Jupiter and Saturn which the closest thing I found. If anyone has any idea where to search for the historical press conference, let me know

Offline Sam Ho

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Re: NASA - Voyager 1 and 2 updates
« Reply #173 on: 08/09/2017 03:51 pm »
I was interested in this tidbit: "The three antenna dishes big enough to register them are shared, so Voyager gets only four to six hours of reception time per spacecraft per day; outside these often odd windows, their data dissipate into the ether. "

Does the DSN really give 8-12 hours of dish time a day to the Voyagers? 

What's great is this caused me to go to the DSN page to see the current activity, and three dishes at Goldstone are current receiving and transmitting to Voyager 1. 

In terms of 8-10 hours per day, I'd venture that on average that's right and varies by day and what other operation/communication is taking place that might take precedence.

Good point here is that each of the three DSN locations have multiple dishes, so each location can multitask, as seen in the attachment.
The daily DSN Space Flight Operations Schedules are posted at https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/voyager/mission/status/

The Voyagers need either a 70m dish or an array of two 34m dishes to receive telemetry.  Each DSN site has one 70m and three 34m dishes, except Goldstone, which has an additional 34m dish.  Voyager 2 is far enough south that it is only visible from Canberra, giving it fewer scheduling options.

Offline Hobbes-22

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Re: NASA - Voyager 1 and 2 updates
« Reply #174 on: 08/09/2017 07:41 pm »
IIRC the time slots for Voyager are that long because the intruments are now transmitting live data. It's not possible any more to record data and play it back later, as the data rate needed for transmission has dropped below the lowest playback speed of the tape recorder.

Offline Sam Ho

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Re: NASA - Voyager 1 and 2 updates
« Reply #175 on: 08/09/2017 08:07 pm »
IIRC the time slots for Voyager are that long because the intruments are now transmitting live data. It's not possible any more to record data and play it back later, as the data rate needed for transmission has dropped below the lowest playback speed of the tape recorder.
The Voyager project tries to get 16 hours per spacecraft per day of tracking.  At last report, Voyager 1 was still using the tape recorder for high-rate PWS data, as long as they can get 1.4kbps for playback, using 70+34m antennas arrayed.
Quote
Science Data Acquisition Strategy

Science data are returned to earth in real time at 160 bps. Real time data capture uses 34 meter Deep Space Network (DSN) resources with the project goal to acquire at least 16 hours per day of real time data per spacecraft. This goal is not always achieved due to the competition for DSN resources with prime mission projects and other extended mission projects.

Three times per week, Voyager 1 has 48 seconds of high rate (115.2 kbps) PWS data recorded onto the Digital Tape Recorder (DTR) for later playback. Voyager 1 has six playbacks per year. The playbacks require 70 meter and 34 meter DSN support for data capture. After transmission of the data (either real time or recorded) to JPL, it is processed and made available in electronic files to the science teams located around the country for their processing and analysis.
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/voyager/mission/science/

Offline whitelancer64

Re: NASA - Voyager 1 and 2 updates
« Reply #176 on: 08/09/2017 08:16 pm »
I was interested in this tidbit: "The three antenna dishes big enough to register them are shared, so Voyager gets only four to six hours of reception time per spacecraft per day; outside these often odd windows, their data dissipate into the ether. "

Does the DSN really give 8-12 hours of dish time a day to the Voyagers? 

What's great is this caused me to go to the DSN page to see the current activity, and three dishes at Goldstone are current receiving and transmitting to Voyager 1. 

In terms of 8-10 hours per day, I'd venture that on average that's right and varies by day and what other operation/communication is taking place that might take precedence.

Good point here is that each of the three DSN locations have multiple dishes, so each location can multitask, as seen in the attachment.
The daily DSN Space Flight Operations Schedules are posted at https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/voyager/mission/status/

The Voyagers need either a 70m dish or an array of two 34m dishes to receive telemetry.  Each DSN site has one 70m and three 34m dishes, except Goldstone, which has an additional 34m dish.  Voyager 2 is far enough south that it is only visible from Canberra, giving it fewer scheduling options.

Any chance we could get another big DSN dish built, perhaps in South Africa or Chile/ Argentina?
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Offline AegeanBlue

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Re: NASA - Voyager 1 and 2 updates
« Reply #177 on: 08/09/2017 08:21 pm »
Any chance we could get another big DSN dish built, perhaps in South Africa or Chile/ Argentina?

Per the Von Karman DSN lecture, they will actually retire the 70 m antenna which is pretty close to the end of its life. Already every day they have to put in adjustments on its operations due to various mechanical issues. The idea is to replace it with arrays of 34 m antennas, rather than replace it one by one

Offline Ben the Space Brit

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Re: NASA - Voyager 1 and 2 updates
« Reply #178 on: 08/10/2017 10:22 am »
That still begs the question of whether NASA and the international community want to increase the southern polar DSN capacity.

Semi OT but is there operational advantages to having large arrays of smaller dishes (the VLA strategy) compared to having one big dish (the Arecebo strategy)?
« Last Edit: 08/10/2017 02:41 pm by Ben the Space Brit »
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Offline Hobbes-22

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Re: NASA - Voyager 1 and 2 updates
« Reply #179 on: 08/10/2017 01:11 pm »
That still begs the question of whether NASA and the international community want to increase the southern polar DSN capacity.

Semi OT but is there operational advantages to having large arrays of smaller dishes (the VLA strategy) compared to having one big dish (the Arieebo strategy)?

Yes. With an array, you can use the antennas separately for "nearby" probes (e.g. Mars, allowing you to communicate with several probes simultaneously), and use them in an array only when you need to.

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