8 ms·

Voyager1 and 2 were sent around 30 years back. If we send now, we will get results only after 2040 only.

binzup 15y ago
well you got to think about the future or else voyager 1 and 2 never would been sent out. they would have just thought "lets not do it because we may not get interesting stuff until 2011" if something takes time, the smartest thing is to start as quick as possible so you get results that much quicker
mrleinad 15y ago
Well, the more reason to launch them now and not wait another year.
mkr-hn 15y ago
I don't think a new one would take 30 years. http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/ion/overview/overview.htm http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/ion/overview/overview.htm It tops out at 90,000 meters per second. http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/interstellar.html http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/interstellar.html The furthest one out is 17 billion kilometers. http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=17+billion+kilometers+divided+by+90000+meters http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&#3... http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=188888889+seconds+in+years http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&#3... That's about six years, though I don't know how long it would take to reach the top speed.
- junkbit 15y ago
  How long does it take the data to reach us?
  - patrickyeon 15y ago
    Speed of light, baby! IIRC, on the order of 4 hours from Pluto. 16 hours (one-way) out to Voyager 1 where it is now.
    - ralfd 15y ago
      Wolfram Alpha excels in that type of questions: http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=distance+pluto+%2F+lightspeed http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=distance+pluto+%2F+ligh... http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=distance+voyager+1+%2F+lightspeed http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=distance+voyager+1+%2F+... P.S. You are correct.
  - mkr-hn 15y ago
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_light http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_light "astronomical units per day: 173" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomical_unit#Examples http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomical_unit#Examples "94 AU: Termination shock between Solar winds/Interstellar winds/Interstellar medium" I think astronomers would prefer data move back and forth faster, but they're used to waiting that long and more for things to happen.
yaix 15y ago
That's my point exactly. Don't wait. Send probes out every year. Because it takes so long for them to get to these places. A few may get lost on the way. Some instruments may malfunction. So better send out more. What would that cost? Half a billion dollars a year? Probably much less, because construction would get more efficient.

well you got to think about the future or else voyager 1 and 2 never would been sent out. they would have just thought "lets not do it because we may not get interesting stuff until 2011" if something takes time, the smartest thing is to start as quick as possible so you get results that much quicker

mrleinad 15y ago

Well, the more reason to launch them now and not wait another year.

mkr-hn 15y ago

I don't think a new one would take 30 years. http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/ion/overview/overview.htm http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/ion/overview/overview.htm It tops out at 90,000 meters per second. http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/interstellar.html http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/interstellar.html The furthest one out is 17 billion kilometers. http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=17+billion+kilometers+divided+by+90000+meters http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&#3... http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=188888889+seconds+in+years http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&#3... That's about six years, though I don't know how long it would take to reach the top speed.

junkbit 15y ago
How long does it take the data to reach us?
- patrickyeon 15y ago
  Speed of light, baby! IIRC, on the order of 4 hours from Pluto. 16 hours (one-way) out to Voyager 1 where it is now.
  - ralfd 15y ago
    Wolfram Alpha excels in that type of questions: http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=distance+pluto+%2F+lightspeed http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=distance+pluto+%2F+ligh... http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=distance+voyager+1+%2F+lightspeed http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=distance+voyager+1+%2F+... P.S. You are correct.
- mkr-hn 15y ago
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_light http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_light "astronomical units per day: 173" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomical_unit#Examples http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomical_unit#Examples "94 AU: Termination shock between Solar winds/Interstellar winds/Interstellar medium" I think astronomers would prefer data move back and forth faster, but they're used to waiting that long and more for things to happen.

yaix 15y ago

That's my point exactly. Don't wait. Send probes out every year. Because it takes so long for them to get to these places. A few may get lost on the way. Some instruments may malfunction. So better send out more. What would that cost? Half a billion dollars a year? Probably much less, because construction would get more efficient.