Interstellar Spacecraft Voyager 1

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the Voyager 1 spacecraft, its continued operation in interstellar space, and the implications of its journey. Participants explore questions regarding its power source, the likelihood of it being discovered by extraterrestrial intelligence, and the potential risks it may face in the vastness of space.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants inquire about how Voyager 1 continues to send signals back to Earth despite its age, suggesting that its radioisotope thermoelectric generators will eventually cease to function.
  • One participant posits that inertial motion and universal gravitation will allow Voyager 1 to continue traveling through space indefinitely, potentially leading to its discovery by aliens.
  • Another participant argues against the likelihood of Voyager 1 being found, emphasizing the vastness of space and suggesting that while intelligent life may exist, the chances of them discovering Voyager are very small.
  • Some participants discuss the uncertainty surrounding the probability of Voyager 1 being discovered versus the likelihood of it colliding with a celestial body.
  • A later reply introduces a hypothetical scenario about Voyager 1 merging with an alien probe and being retrieved by a future Earth starship.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the likelihood of Voyager 1 being discovered by extraterrestrial intelligence versus the risk of it colliding with a star or planet. There is no consensus on these probabilities, and the discussion remains unresolved.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes various assumptions about the nature of space, the potential for intelligent life, and the operational lifespan of Voyager 1's power source, which are not fully explored or agreed upon.

alan123hk
Messages
817
Reaction score
450
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
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Vanadium 50 and alan123hk
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.
 
Last edited:
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
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: collinsmark
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?
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: russ_watters
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.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: russ_watters and BillTre
  • #10
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?
 
  • Haha
Likes   Reactions: BillTre
  • #11
Ripley being found returning on the Nostromo was a similarly unlikely situation.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
1K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 21 ·
Replies
21
Views
6K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
4K
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
3K
  • · Replies 42 ·
2
Replies
42
Views
13K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
4K
  • · Replies 28 ·
Replies
28
Views
14K