NASA "pokes" Voyager 1 spacecraft and got a response!

[mapuc]

It is indeed an amazing achievement we have made.

I think it's time to repeat the feat and construct 2 new satellite and send them same way into outer space. These satellite shall have an another type of propulsion.

And now some off topic to the title

In a few decades from now we will lose contact with Voyager 1. It will be out of sight out of mine-Then it will return in 3-400 years from now and has changed name to V'ger

End of some off topic....

Markus

[August]

Originally Posted by mapuc

It is indeed an amazing achievement we have made.

I think it's time to repeat the feat and construct 2 new satellite and send them same way into outer space. These satellite shall have an another type of propulsion.

And now some off topic to the title

In a few decades from now we will lose contact with Voyager 1. It will be out of sight out of mine-Then it will return in 3-400 years from now and has changed name to V'ger

End of some off topic....

Markus

I don't think Voyagers have propulsion but I agree. We definitely should send out more Voyagers and in different directions.

[Commander Wallace]

Originally Posted by August

I don't think Voyagers have propulsion but I agree. We definitely should send out more Voyagers and in different directions.

Voyager 1 was constructed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It has 16hydrazine thrusters, three-axis stabilization gyroscopes, and referencing instruments to keep the probe's radio antenna pointed toward Earth.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_1

[August]

Originally Posted by Commander Wallace

Voyager 1 was constructed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It has 16hydrazine thrusters, three-axis stabilization gyroscopes, and referencing instruments to keep the probe's radio antenna pointed toward Earth.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_1

I meant a main system not stabilizers. The Voyagers use gravity as their main source of propulsion.

[Commander Wallace]

Originally Posted by August

I meant a main system not stabilizers. The Voyagers use gravity as their main source of propulsion.

I understand what you mean. To be completely honest, I have no idea how they are set up. I know Cassini used an elaborate set of maneuvers to as you said, use gravity as a " slingshot " to catapult itself into space. I believe it also used thrusters to gain velocity. Casssini was in my opinion a more ambitious probe. One of these probes used Ion engines for propulsion as well.

When Cassini arrived at Saturn, It executed an elaborate elliptical orbit that consistently went between Saturn and it's rings to " burn " off speed. The Shuttles did the same maneuvers in executing S turns to bleed off energy and speed before landing.

With Cassini, this all had to be done before they could even attempt an orbit insertion. Cassini had spent 13 years in orbit around Saturn, collecting data.