Voyager 1: How Long Can We Communicate?

[Lars Hansen]

For how long will we still be able to communicate with the amazing Voyager 1?

 

[NascentOxygen]

Hi Lars Hansen.

If you click on the ≡ symbol at the top right of your screen you will find the PF SEARCH facility where a search on titles can discover discussions on the Voyagers. There is sure to be a recent discussion where you can learn much, and ask questions.

Good luck!

 

[Drakkith]

For how long will we still be able to communicate with the amazing Voyager 1?

According to wikipedia, around 2025-2030 Voyager 1 will no longer be able to power any instrument. I assume that includes the transmitter, but I'm not sure.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_1#Future_of_the_probe

 

[CWatters]

http://www.popularmechanics.com/spa...longer-will-we-talk-to-the-voyagers-11479518/

Suzanne Dodd, the Voyager project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, says the Voyager spacecraft are powered by a couple of nuclear reactors sitting on the back of the probe, but they will soon run out of steam. "The nuclear power sources lose about 4 watts of power a year," she says. At this rate, Dodd says, Voyager should have enough power to communicate with Earth until 2022 or maybe 2025.

At it current distance, a round-trip message from Voyager I to Earth and back again takes a little more than 33 hours. And Voyager scientists are allotted only 6 to 8 hours per day on the Deep Space Network, meaning there may not be somebody listening when Voyager is talking

 

[Lars Hansen]

Hi Lars Hansen.

If you click on the ≡ symbol at the top right of your screen you will find the PF SEARCH facility where a search on titles can discover discussions on the Voyagers. There is sure to be a recent discussion where you can learn much, and ask questions.

Good luck!

Thank you! I am new here.