Voyager 2: Nasa Picks Up 'Heartbeat' Signal After Sending Wrong Command

[naomi24]

Not a question, just for those who might be interested in a probe launched almost 50 years ago and thought lost. I think it's fantastic news.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-66371569

[Togo]

Imagine it. 70s technology is still operational after a 46 year journey through space and being subject to the temperatures and radiation out there for all that time. I spent my working life then repairing 70s electronics kit and household goods. Compared to todays gear they were lumpen hulks. Every visit to the pub involved showing someone how to set their Casio watch and hours showing customers how to set a video recorder to record a future programme. The first TV remotes were an infra red clicker that only stepped channels up or down. This craft was made at the same time.

[Zacs-Master]

Lumpen hulks = robust. Fantastic story, thanks Naomi.

[Hymie]

Togo – you must be younger than me, I can remember TV remotes that were not remote but connected by a long wire; and TV remotes that worked by ultrasonic sound – you could change channel by shaking a bunch of house keys.

[Togo]

I remember all those things Hymie . The wire mechanical channel changer was not one of the company(that I worked for) products, although it was available in the States and parts of Europe. The infra and ultrasonic "clickers" were both in use but although the ultrasonics were earlier our company didn't have many on sale. I am talking talking late 70s now of course. Things went mental tech wise in the 80s. I am pushing 76.

[Togo]

Sorry to divert Naomi. The Voyager is 70s tech mind. :))

[William51]

This is good news. The speed and distances involved is phenomenal and is a great example of mans involvement in space.

[Peter Pedant]

OG, I didn’t realise they planned to bring it back.
is this serious ? oh well it is AB

when this was lectured on in the OU maff course er 1985 - they hung it on Hamming codes. The power at that time of the radio was one trillionth of a watt, and so they had to use codes which were "repeaters" - so 0000 was likey to be o - 0100 - was 0 0110 not sure 1110 was 1 and 1111 clearly one.

anyone remember ptydepe in Vaclav Havel's "The memorandum" ?- Each ptydepe word was 65% different to another. 'gh' the commonest word was 'productivity' - 'f' was reserved for a future more common word, and the longest word was 96 syllables meaning pregnant wombat

the code for voyager was hamming code. They put a picky ( chesterfield man I think) through 12 km optic fibre before and after Hamming and the correction was.... impressive

[Peter Pedant]

and there is a bite sized viddie suitable for ABers on Hamming codes ( self correcting codes) useful for communication in such as Voyager

[naomi24]

PP, //OG, I didn’t realise they planned to bring it back.
is this serious ? oh well it is AB //

Yes, it is serious. I think you'll find a number of probes have been launched with no intention of bringing them back. And for once you're right. This is AB.

[Hymie]

There are no plans to bring it back, the following from Wikipedia.

‘Voyager 2 is not headed toward any particular star, although in roughly 42,000 years, it will have a close approach with the star Ross 248 at a distance of a few light-years. If undisturbed for 296,000 years, Voyager 2 should pass by the star Sirius at a distance of 4.3 light-years.’

There is also a golden disk on board, in the event that the spacecraft is ever found by intelligent life-forms from other planetary systems. As a player to play the disk would not be functional in 40,000 year, a pictorial diagram on the disk contains instructions on how to play it. It also has a pictorial representation of the location of earth.

The disc includes photos of the Earth and its life-forms and music, including works by Mozart and Chuck Berry.

[Peter Pedant]

I think you'll find a number of probes have been launched with no intention of bringing them back. And for once you're right.

OK OK if you say they have attached a very long rope (VLR) and are gonna drag it back, then they are. Crazy sunday on AB again

Voyager 2 is equipped with three Multihundred-Watt radioisotope thermoelectric generators (MHW RTG). Each RTG includes 24 pressed plutonium oxide spheres, and provided enough heat to generate approximately 157 W of electrical power at launch.

clearly written for the readers of AB

[naomi24]

Peter Pedant, //OK OK if you say they have attached a very long rope (VLR) and are gonna drag it back, then they are. //

I didn't say that.

//Crazy sunday on AB again //

Or that.

[DTCwordfan]

Imagine if they have picked up "We are here...." Must be a wealth of data aboard.....perhaps the 'missing' planet?

[ToraToraTora]

togo: " Every visit to the pub involved showing someone how to set their Casio watch and hours showing customers how to set a video recorder to record a future programme." - I used to do that in pubs earned loads of drinks setting watches! and when Video recorders came out my mum used to send me round houses to set them up for people! I could never fathom why people could not do it themselves it was easy for me, mostly I never even needed the instructions. They always gave me money too!

[Khandro]

"Nasa Picks Up 'Heartbeat' Signal.."

God's ?

[douglas9401]

I think everyboy's good at one thing.