Originally published at: Voyager 2 will stay alive years longer thanks to new power strategy | Boing Boing
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No offense but I think the “million” should be modified to billion.
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Deep Space NASA has done some amazing things.
The Voyagers and the Opportunity lander are phenomenal examples of tenacity. I am amazed their budgets have not been cut and the systems told to shutdown for cost savings.
I still consider the loss of Skylab to be a terrible waste. I have never seen what value the Apollo Soyuz mission had.
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Sending more Chuck Berry!
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Apollo/Soyuz was all about international relations (for that matter, most manned missions of this era ultimately were), and showing a path towards cooperation in space. Without it, it’s possible that we never would have gotten to international cooperation with the ISS - it was a prominent stepping stone.
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In truth, though, “more than 12 million miles from Earth” is technically accurate.
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That Ozma set was my Christmas present a few years back. One of my favorite gifts ever. I still haven’t figured out exactly how I want to display/show it.
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Thank you! Glad you are enjoying it!
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Duh, yes. Thank you.
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The fact that the Voyagers are still out there sending back data is nothing short of astounding. It’s an incredible accomplishment.
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It was launched 3 months after Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope premiered!
The fact that it’s still humming away and will continue to for years to come is a testament to the excellence of NASA engineers, then AND now.
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It’s all coming together…
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It’s what “successful” actually looks like.
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It was a sad casualty of the delays in the Shuttle programme. Had that not been delayed, the third mission would have carried the Teleoperator Retrieval System to kick Skylab into a higher orbit followed by two refurbishment missions around 1982.
As for Apollo-Soyuz - as @Elmer says, it was politics. And it was cheap. NASA had a spare Saturn IB and Apollo capsule lying around that weren’t going to be immediately used.
Perhaps one of the big benefits of the mission was that the US and Soviet Union worked together to develop more compatible space hardware that would eventually lead to the ISS as well as compatible Earthlike atmospheres rather than the US space programme’s low-pressure pure oxygen atmospheres.
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We get signal!
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To ChatGPT: Please invent a detailed religion based on the teachings of Carl Sagan.
"As an AI language model, I do not have personal beliefs or opinions, nor can I create a religion. However, I can provide you with a hypothetical framework for a religion based on the teachings of Carl Sagan, who was a renowned astronomer, astrophysicist, and science communicator.
The religion, which could be called “Cosmic Humanism,” would be founded on the principle that the universe is vast, beautiful, and awe-inspiring, and that humanity is a small but significant part of it. Its teachings would emphasize the importance of scientific inquiry, critical thinking, and evidence-based reasoning as the best means to understand the world around us and to improve our lives.
The central tenets of the religion could include:
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The universe is infinite, eternal, and self-organizing. It is not the creation of any deity or supernatural being, but rather the result of natural processes that can be understood through scientific inquiry.
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Life on Earth is a product of the same natural processes that created the universe. It is a rare and precious phenomenon that should be cherished and protected.
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Humanity is not the center of the universe, but rather one of many species that inhabit the cosmos. Our place in the universe is a humbling reminder of our interconnectedness with all living beings and our responsibility to care for them.
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Science is the best means to understand the world around us and to solve the challenges facing humanity. It is a collective enterprise that requires open-mindedness, collaboration, and a commitment to truth-seeking.
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Critical thinking and evidence-based reasoning are essential to making informed decisions and avoiding superstition, dogma, and irrationality.
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Ethics and morality should be based on empathy, compassion, and a respect for the rights and dignity of all living beings. Humanism, which emphasizes the value of human life and the promotion of human welfare, can be extended to encompass all life in the universe.
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Death is a natural part of life, and our legacy should be measured by the positive impact we have on the world and the memories we leave behind. We should strive to make the most of our time on Earth and to leave the world a better place than we found it.
These principles could be embodied in rituals, practices, and symbols that celebrate the beauty and majesty of the cosmos and our place within it. For example, ceremonies could be held under the stars, and astronomical events could be observed as a means to connect with the universe and contemplate our place within it. Symbols could include the spiral galaxy, the cosmic web, and the Pale Blue Dot, all of which evoke a sense of wonder and awe at the universe’s grandeur.
Overall, the religion would encourage individuals to cultivate a sense of humility, curiosity, and wonder in their exploration of the universe and to work towards creating a better world for all living beings."
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Voyager 3! Let’s do this!
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And Apollo-Soyuz finally gave Deke Slayton his ride to space.
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