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47 years. It's been out there 47 years. It's awe inspiring that a) it's still operating, and b) some wicked smart folks in JPL can reconfigure its code remotely
by kayo_20211030 3y ago
47 years. It's been out there 47 years. It's awe inspiring that a) it's still operating, and b) some wicked smart folks in JPL can reconfigure its code remotely to get it back on its feet. A huge achievement for no other reason than it just is. Congratulations to the smarty's.
- JKCalhoun 3y agoI was wondering if we had something to follow up the amazing Voyager I and II and so asked one of our A.I. friends. Unfortunately it listed spacecraft that I don't consider "deep space", so perhaps New Horizons is our only follow-on: "Voyager 1 and 2: Both are still communicating with Earth as they journey through interstellar space, but their aging power sources mean they may go silent sometime in the 2030s. New Horizons: Based on its plutonium power source, New Horizons should still be operating in 2034 as it studies other Kuiper Belt objects after its Pluto flyby. Juno: NASA's Juno Jupiter orbiter should still be operational in 2034, with its mission currently extended into the 2030s. Parker Solar Probe: With its solar electric propulsion and generous power supply, Parker should still be studying the Sun's corona in 2034 and perhaps even in the 2040s. So of the deep space assets listed, the most likely to still be actively sending data back to Earth in around 2034 are New Horizons, Juno, Parker Solar Probe, and potentially the two active Voyager probes if their power holds out that long."