3 ms·

I think we need a continuous stream of Voyagers. Each with the latest sensor suite but otherwise using proven designs. What could we learn with, say, a good tel

I think we need a continuous stream of Voyagers. Each with the latest sensor suite but otherwise using proven designs. What could we learn with, say, a good telescope mounted to one of these. It’s also not out of the range of possibilities to have a high bandwidth telecommunications infrastructure deployed across the entire solar system.

andrekandre 6y ago
sounds like a job for the intergalactice computer network
Someone 6y ago
You need more broadcast power the further you’re away from earth and there’s less solar energy per m² the further you’re away from the sun (Neptune is 30 AU away, so there, per m² it’s about a thousandth of what we get around earth), and launching nuclear powered space probes (let alone a continuous stream of them) is a bit controversial. Because of that, I think high bandwidth is problematic (Voyager 2 had 115 kbits/second at Jupiter (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_2#Communications https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_2#Communications) and currently has 160 bits per second; new Horizons, launched in 2006 has _less_ than that (smaller parabolic dish; less power ; dedicating fewer antennas on earth to receive data (https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/27450/why-is-new-horizons-data-transmission-speed-so-slow-compared-to-voyager https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/27450/why-is-new-h...)) You also would need a lot of large radio antennas on/around earth if you want to receive from these probes 24h/day (and if you don’t, you of course give up effective bandwidth)
iszomer 6y ago
Or make satellites with relay capabilities? Why did they have to EOL Cassini when it had an RTG anyway?
- celias 6y ago
  From https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/cassini/mission/grand-finale/overview/ https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/cassini/mission/grand-... "Having expended almost every bit of the rocket propellant it carried to Saturn, operators deliberately plunged Cassini into the planet to ensure Saturn's moons remain pristine for future exploration"
- hliyan 6y ago
  A series of relays spread across the Jovian orbit would be an interesting way to mitigate the effects of the inverse square law on transmissions from extra-solar probes.
hliyan 6y ago
I wonder what it would cost to build an exact replica of a Voyager and launch it on one of the newer launch vehicles? Obviously, we're not going to get a gravity slingshot off multiple gas giants, but considering that Voyagers were launched using Titan rockets, we should be able to give it a much better push from Earth orbit.

andrekandre 6y ago

sounds like a job for the intergalactice computer network

Someone 6y ago

You need more broadcast power the further you’re away from earth and there’s less solar energy per m² the further you’re away from the sun (Neptune is 30 AU away, so there, per m² it’s about a thousandth of what we get around earth), and launching nuclear powered space probes (let alone a continuous stream of them) is a bit controversial. Because of that, I think high bandwidth is problematic (Voyager 2 had 115 kbits/second at Jupiter (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_2#Communications https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_2#Communications) and currently has 160 bits per second; new Horizons, launched in 2006 has _less_ than that (smaller parabolic dish; less power ; dedicating fewer antennas on earth to receive data (https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/27450/why-is-new-horizons-data-transmission-speed-so-slow-compared-to-voyager https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/27450/why-is-new-h...)) You also would need a lot of large radio antennas on/around earth if you want to receive from these probes 24h/day (and if you don’t, you of course give up effective bandwidth)

iszomer 6y ago

Or make satellites with relay capabilities? Why did they have to EOL Cassini when it had an RTG anyway?

celias 6y ago
From https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/cassini/mission/grand-finale/overview/ https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/cassini/mission/grand-... "Having expended almost every bit of the rocket propellant it carried to Saturn, operators deliberately plunged Cassini into the planet to ensure Saturn's moons remain pristine for future exploration"
hliyan 6y ago
A series of relays spread across the Jovian orbit would be an interesting way to mitigate the effects of the inverse square law on transmissions from extra-solar probes.

hliyan 6y ago

I wonder what it would cost to build an exact replica of a Voyager and launch it on one of the newer launch vehicles? Obviously, we're not going to get a gravity slingshot off multiple gas giants, but considering that Voyagers were launched using Titan rockets, we should be able to give it a much better push from Earth orbit.