Interstellar Spacecraft Voyager 1

AI Thread Summary
Voyager 1, launched in 1977, continues to send signals back to Earth despite being in interstellar space since 2012. Its power source, three radioisotope thermoelectric generators, is expected to last only a few more years, after which it will cease communication. The spacecraft emits a 'humming' sound, attributed to plasma waves in interstellar space, raising questions about potential extraterrestrial encounters. While some speculate about the possibility of Voyager 1 being discovered by aliens, many argue that the vastness of space makes this highly unlikely. The discussion also touches on the broader implications of intelligent life in the universe, emphasizing that while the existence of other civilizations is plausible, the chances of Voyager being found are minimal compared to the likelihood of it colliding with celestial bodies. Ultimately, the mission's primary goal remains scientific exploration and research.
alan123hk
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The interstellar spacecraft Voyager 1 was launched in 1977 and left the solar system to reach the endless interstellar space in 2012. It is now 2021. Voyager 1 has been sailing in space for 44 years. Why does it still have energy to send electromagnetic signals back to the earth? What does this ‘humming’ beyond our solar system mean? Could it be related to aliens, or at least means that future manned interstellar spacecraft will encounter greater risks when they leave the solar system and fly into interstellar space?

https://Earth'sky.org/space/voyager-1-droning-hum-plasma-interstellar-space/
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddar...ace-its-density-measurements-are-making-waves
 
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Thanks for the very useful information, which means that the three radioisotope thermoelectric generators can only continue to operate for about four years, after which Voyager 1 will no longer be able to send the information back to the earth.

But I believe that inertial motion and universal gravitation will push Voyager 1 to continue to sail into the endless space, and maybe one day it will be discovered by aliens.
 
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alan123hk said:
But I believe that inertial motion and universal gravitation will push Voyager 1 to continue to sail into the endless space, and maybe one day it will be discovered by aliens.
TOTALLY unlikely. Do you have ANY concept of how vast space is?

EDIT: OOPS ... necropost by mistake
 
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phinds said:
TOTALLY unlikely. Do you have ANY concept of how vast space is?
Precisely because the universe is so vast beyond our imagination, it is almost certain that in addition to the Earth, there are many other intelligent life forms in the universe, and it is only a matter of time before we discover them.
If you want to know how big the universe is, I sincerely recommend you watch the following short film.
 
alan123hk said:
Precisely because the universe is so vast beyond our imagination, it is almost certain that in addition to the Earth, there are many other intelligent life forms in the universe
agree
alan123hk said:
, and it is only a matter of time before we discover them.
Maybe.

All irrelevant anyway. How many intelligent life forms there are is not really relevant to whether or not any of them ever "find" Voyager. It is not literally impossible but I'd say the chances are vanishingly small.
 
phinds said:
All irrelevant anyway. How many intelligent life forms there are is not really relevant to whether or not any of them ever "find" Voyager. It is not literally impossible but I'd say the chances are vanishingly small.
It's hard to say how likely Voyager 1 is to be discovered by extraterrestrial intelligence. This is probably a very subjective guess. Moreover, it is conceivable that the probability of occurrence within 100 years should be extremely small, but the probability of occurrence within 1 million years may be relatively high. .

The main purpose of Voyager 1 is of course mankind's scientific exploration and research of the universe.
https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/interstellar-mission/

But isn't it already clear to whom the rich content stored in the Golden Record carried on the spacecraft is to be displayed?


https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/galleries/images-on-the-golden-record/
 
Since you guys are so interested in determining things that are highly uncertain, here's another:

Is it more likely for Voyager 1 to be found by another civilization or
to crash into a star or planet and be lost for ever?
 
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BillTre said:
Is it more likely for Voyager 1 to be found by another civilization or
to crash into a star or planet and be lost for ever?
Both are very unlikely but being found is MUCH more unlikely than crashing.
 
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More to the point, how likely is it that Voyager 1 will be damaged in a collision with a meteor, subsequently merge with an alien probe, and then be picked up by a 23rd century Earth star ship?
 
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Ripley being found returning on the Nostromo was a similarly unlikely situation.
 
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