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wolram
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With voyager 2 now going to interstella space what have we learned?
Still sending data back?wolram said:With voyager 2 now going to interstella space what have we learned?
Voyager 2 is a space probe launched by NASA in 1977 as part of the Voyager program. It has visited and collected data on all four of the outer planets in our solar system, and is currently the only spacecraft to have reached interstellar space. It is important for interstellar space exploration because it has provided valuable information about the outer planets and their moons, as well as the characteristics of interstellar space itself.
Voyager 2 has made several key discoveries in interstellar space, including the detection of a previously unknown layer of magnetic bubbles surrounding our solar system, the measurement of the density of interstellar space, and the observation of a decrease in the number of charged particles as it moves further away from the sun.
As of 2021, Voyager 2 has traveled over 11.5 billion miles and is currently over 18.5 billion miles away from Earth. It is expected to continue sending data back to Earth until at least 2025, when its power supply is estimated to run out.
Voyager 2 uses a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) to power its instruments and communication systems. It sends data back to Earth using a high-gain antenna, which allows for a more focused and powerful signal. The data is then received by NASA's Deep Space Network, a series of large radio antennas located around the world.
Voyager 2's primary mission was to explore the outer planets, but it is now on an extended mission to study the outer boundary of our solar system and beyond. It will continue to send back data on the characteristics of interstellar space until its power supply runs out. After that, it will continue to travel through the Milky Way for millions of years as a silent ambassador of humanity's exploration of the cosmos.