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From the article: “Voyager 1 still has two remaining operating science instruments — one that listens to plasma waves and one that measures magnetic fields. The
by s0rce 6mo ago
From the article: “Voyager 1 still has two remaining operating science instruments — one that listens to plasma waves and one that measures magnetic fields. They are still working great, sending back data from a region of space no other human-made craft has ever explored. The team remains focused on keeping both Voyagers going for as long as possible.”
- goldfishgold 6mo agoyeah the sparse data being returned from Voyager are the only direct observations ever made of the outer solar system / beyond. Even if the data is humdrum and exactly as expected, that in itself is worth something.
- krisoft 6mo agoBut worth enough to send a new probe? Generally we don’t construct and maintain expensive scientific equipment just for the fun of it. There usually is some question or debate we expect them to answer or settle.
- comrh 6mo agoWorth enough is always debatable but here are some future proposed science goals for an interstellar probe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstellar_Probe_(spacecraft)#Primary_science_goals https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstellar_Probe_(spacecraft...