Interstellar Spacecraft Voyager 1

In summary, the interstellar spacecraft Voyager 1 was launched in 1977 and has been sailing in space for 44 years. Despite its power source running out in around four years, it continues to send electromagnetic signals back to Earth. This could mean that future interstellar spacecraft may encounter greater risks when leaving the solar system and entering interstellar space. The humming sound detected from beyond our solar system could potentially be related to this journey.
  • #1
alan123hk
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The interstellar spacecraft Voyager 1 was launched in 1977 and left the solar system to reach the endless interstellar space in 2012. It is now 2021. Voyager 1 has been sailing in space for 44 years. Why does it still have energy to send electromagnetic signals back to the earth? What does this ‘humming’ beyond our solar system mean? Could it be related to aliens, or at least means that future manned interstellar spacecraft will encounter greater risks when they leave the solar system and fly into interstellar space?

https://Earth'sky.org/space/voyager-1-droning-hum-plasma-interstellar-space/
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddar...ace-its-density-measurements-are-making-waves
 
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  • #3
Thanks for the very useful information, which means that the three radioisotope thermoelectric generators can only continue to operate for about four years, after which Voyager 1 will no longer be able to send the information back to the earth.

But I believe that inertial motion and universal gravitation will push Voyager 1 to continue to sail into the endless space, and maybe one day it will be discovered by aliens.
 
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  • #4
alan123hk said:
But I believe that inertial motion and universal gravitation will push Voyager 1 to continue to sail into the endless space, and maybe one day it will be discovered by aliens.
TOTALLY unlikely. Do you have ANY concept of how vast space is?

EDIT: OOPS ... necropost by mistake
 
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  • #5
phinds said:
TOTALLY unlikely. Do you have ANY concept of how vast space is?
Precisely because the universe is so vast beyond our imagination, it is almost certain that in addition to the Earth, there are many other intelligent life forms in the universe, and it is only a matter of time before we discover them.
If you want to know how big the universe is, I sincerely recommend you watch the following short film.
 
  • #6
alan123hk said:
Precisely because the universe is so vast beyond our imagination, it is almost certain that in addition to the Earth, there are many other intelligent life forms in the universe
agree
alan123hk said:
, and it is only a matter of time before we discover them.
Maybe.

All irrelevant anyway. How many intelligent life forms there are is not really relevant to whether or not any of them ever "find" Voyager. It is not literally impossible but I'd say the chances are vanishingly small.
 
  • #7
phinds said:
All irrelevant anyway. How many intelligent life forms there are is not really relevant to whether or not any of them ever "find" Voyager. It is not literally impossible but I'd say the chances are vanishingly small.
It's hard to say how likely Voyager 1 is to be discovered by extraterrestrial intelligence. This is probably a very subjective guess. Moreover, it is conceivable that the probability of occurrence within 100 years should be extremely small, but the probability of occurrence within 1 million years may be relatively high. .

The main purpose of Voyager 1 is of course mankind's scientific exploration and research of the universe.
https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/interstellar-mission/

But isn't it already clear to whom the rich content stored in the Golden Record carried on the spacecraft is to be displayed?


https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/galleries/images-on-the-golden-record/
 
  • #8
Since you guys are so interested in determining things that are highly uncertain, here's another:

Is it more likely for Voyager 1 to be found by another civilization or
to crash into a star or planet and be lost for ever?
 
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  • #9
BillTre said:
Is it more likely for Voyager 1 to be found by another civilization or
to crash into a star or planet and be lost for ever?
Both are very unlikely but being found is MUCH more unlikely than crashing.
 
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  • #10
More to the point, how likely is it that Voyager 1 will be damaged in a collision with a meteor, subsequently merge with an alien probe, and then be picked up by a 23rd century Earth star ship?
 
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  • #11
Ripley being found returning on the Nostromo was a similarly unlikely situation.
 

FAQ: Interstellar Spacecraft Voyager 1

What is the purpose of the Interstellar Spacecraft Voyager 1?

The purpose of the Interstellar Spacecraft Voyager 1 is to explore and study the outer reaches of our solar system and beyond, which includes collecting data and images of planets, moons, and other celestial bodies.

How far has Voyager 1 traveled?

As of 2021, Voyager 1 has traveled approximately 14.2 billion miles from Earth and is currently the farthest man-made object in space.

How long will Voyager 1 continue to operate?

Voyager 1 is expected to continue sending back data until around 2025, when its power supply is estimated to run out. However, it will continue to travel through space indefinitely.

What have we learned from Voyager 1's journey?

Voyager 1 has provided us with valuable information about our solar system, including the discovery of active volcanoes on Jupiter's moon Io, evidence of a subsurface ocean on Saturn's moon Enceladus, and the existence of a new type of aurora on Saturn. It has also given us a greater understanding of the boundaries of our solar system and the nature of interstellar space.

Is Voyager 1 carrying any messages from Earth?

Yes, Voyager 1 carries a gold-plated record containing sounds and images representing life on Earth. This was done as a way to potentially communicate with any extraterrestrial life that may come into contact with the spacecraft in the future.

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