Voyager 1 arrives on ‘magnetic highway for charged particles’

Venerable spacecraft Voyager 1 has arrived in the most distant part of space that can be considered part of the solar system. NASA has labelled this region of space “a magnetic highway for charged particles” because it contains particles radiating out from the sun along with interstellar particles zipping into our …

[FartingHippo]

They're suppressing the data!

If you speed up the changes in the magnetic flux, then play it backwards, you get rickrolled. The pandimensional overlords of the universe are a bit behind the times, joke-wise, but you'd be a fool to point that out.

[Thorsten]

Vogons?

Reading the words "highway", "roadworks", and "space" in the same article makes me very nervous. Glad to have a towel here in the office.

[Zaphod.Beeblebrox]

Re: Vogons?

As long as space isn't filled with impossibly huge yellow somethings that look more like they have been congealed than constructed and hang in the air in much the same way that bricks don't, I think we are OK...

[Swoop]

Re: Vogons?

With a handle like Zaphod Beeblebrox you should worry not. Just fire up the Infinite Improbability Drive...

[Zaphod.Beeblebrox]

Re: Vogons?

Oh, right, good thing I've got the Heart of Gold, I'm pretty sure I gave my electronic thumb to Ford Prefect...

[James 36]

thanks for all the fish

I am pleasantly surprised Voyager 1 is still sending us stuff,

well done that spacecraft !

[Anonymous Coward]

Am I missing something with that graph?

The article talks about what was sampled on and around August 25th, however the plot seems to stop before August?

[Paul Lingwood]

Voyage, voyage...

Plus loin que la nuit et le jour,

Voyage Voyage

De la terre à l'espace interstellaire

Voyage Voyage

Éternellement.

(know your 80's)

[Destroy All Monsters]

Re: Voyage, voyage...

Now you did it!

I shall employ my unparalleled vodoo powers to sic a tax audit on you for revenge!

[Mako]

Re: Voyage, voyage...

Oh no! What have you done?!

It's in my head! It's in my HEAD!!!

[Paul Lingwood]

Re: Voyage, voyage...

heh heh heh

[Unicornpiss]

Good engineering

There are anvils that are less reliable than the two Voyager probes. (and the Mars probes) It's a shame the rest of the space program has devolved into what it is today from the "glory days."

[Robert E A Harvey]

Re: Good engineering

That's everything I was going to say, and said better!

[Kool-Aid drinker]

Re: Good engineering

Take an upvote Sir; Very well said.

[lglethal]

Re: Good engineering

Come now its not all bad! The Martian rovers Opportunity and Spirit despite only being expected to last 6 weeks have so far lasted many years (1 is even still going!).

The upcoming Curiosity Rover whilst only having a mission thats supposed to last 2 years is expected to continue on for at least 5 more after that.

The engineering in the Space field is stil amazing, there's just less of it nowadays because we waste all of our money on unimportant things... like bailing out banks...

[Fibbles]

Re: Good engineering

http://xkcd.com/695/

[Stratman]

Note to beancounters

This is what happens when you build to a specification, not a price.

[JimmyPage]

How many of it's designers has it outlived ?

amazing engineering.

[John 104]

Re: How many of it's designers has it outlived ?

@JimmyPage

They don't build them like they used to... :)

I remember when this thing launched. I'm not much of a space buff, but it is always fascinating to read articles about it and the latest chunk of space it is looking at, and to remeber that I was a child when it went up!

[Swoop]

Awesome

Just pause a moment to consider...

Launched 35 years ago. Still functioning. 17 light hours from Earth. I mean, 17 light hours!!

Bloody well done, the Voyager team!

[Tom 38]

Re: Awesome

Not just this, but it is also going where nothing man made has ever gone before, exploring parts of space that we can only speculate about their behaviour. Soon, this thing will be outside of the solar system's influence, into real space, and we will get a better glimpse into what is beyond.

Personally, I think it will be as Jayne says in Serenity - "Oh, hell. I've been to the edge. Just looked like more space"

[Swoop]

Re: Awesome

As you say, Tom, it will be the first man made object to venture beyond the Heliopause. Will that qualify it as our first starship?

[sisk]

Re: Awesome

I think for it to qualify as a starship it would actually have to make it to another star, so maybe in a couple million years. I really hope we have more efficient starships long before then.

[b166er]

Re: Awesome

Wonder how long it'll be before we catch up with it, do a battery swap and leave it to continue on it's journey?

[asdf]

Re: Awesome

17 light hours is amazing but over 30 years to get that far shows just how slow our technology is. At this speed it would take Voyager longer than the current age of the Universe to go to the next closest galaxy. We are truly are old ladies on the intergalactic highway.

[asdf]

Re: Awesome

Sorry misspoke meant it would take longer than the age of the universe to get to the Andromeda galaxy.

[Scott 2]

Curiosity has the potential to last a while....

... but I suspect it'll break down when it's warranty expires.

[Anonymous Coward]

Far enough...

Is it far enough away yet to hear Hitler opening the Olympics?

But seriously, I would laugh my pants off if it hit a massive black wall full of little white lights.

[Rocket]

Re: Far enough...

> But seriously, I would laugh my pants off if it hit a massive black wall full of little white lights.

Sounds to me like it did .. entering and reentering the magnetic field ...

If it does manage to get through and out: Is it insured for crossing the galactic super highway?

[Anonymous Coward]

Not long to go before it becomes V'ger.

[Andy 70]

mankind's tombstone for eternity

at least something of mankind will survive the sun's eventual destruction, even if commities and budget cuts ensure that we don't.

provided it doesn't fall into a star or get eaten by a black hole. but given that [hitchhickers] space is so mind bogglingly big [/hitchhikers] etc. hopefully that won't happen for a while.

[Anonymous Coward]

Deterrent

Next time, they should send a snapshot of the entire internet instead of a gold record with bugger all on it.

Aliens need to learn of and fear our dreaded Ceiling Cat.