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Is Voyager 1 lost in space?
For decades, Voyager has been sailing away at around 11 miles (17 kilometers) every second. We know this partly because Voyager 1 crossed the heliopause in August 2012, a whole three and a half decades after it departed Earth. That puts the probe well and truly in interstellar space.
Why did the Voyager spacecraft not suffer a collision with an asteroid when it went through the asteroid belt?
The asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter contains millions of asteroids, but a space probe has never had to worry about hitting into one on its way to the outer planets. The reason for this is because space is so big and so empty when it comes to macroscopic objects such as planets and asteroids.
Is Voyager 1 and 2 still in space?
The Voyagers are identical. Although both of the Voyager probes – Voyager 1, launched September 5, 1977, and Voyager 2, launched 16 days before its twin – have left the heliosphere, neither spacecraft has yet left the solar system, and won’t be leaving anytime soon.
What went wrong with Voyager 2 as it passed around Saturn?
Voyager 2 launched first, on August 20, 1977. (The first probe got a “2” label because Voyager 1 would travel faster through space and overtake its twin.) The problem: Voyager 2’s computer wasn’t programmed to handle the rocket’s twisting, shaking, and rattling on its way toward space — so the system went on the fritz.
How long does it take to send a signal to Voyager 1?
The spacecraft collect information about their surrounding environment in real time and then send it back through radio signals. Voyager 1 data takes about 19 hours to reach Earth, and signals from Voyager 2 about 16 hours. (For comparison, it takes the rovers on Mars 20 minutes on average to call home.)
What happened to Voyager 1 and Voyager 2?
Both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 have reached “Interstellar space” and each continue their unique journey through the Universe. In the NASA Eyes on the Solar System app, you can see the real spacecraft trajectories of the Voyagers, which are updated every five minutes.
Where can I see the real spacecraft trajectories of the Voyagers?
In the NASA Eyes on the Solar System app, you can see the real spacecraft trajectories of the Voyagers, which are updated every five minutes. Distance and velocities are updated in real-time.
How far away is Voyager 2 from the Sun?
Mission Status Voyager 1 Voyager 2 Distance from Sun 153.72828457 AU 127.83355557 AU Velocity with respect to the Sun (estima 38,026.77 mph 34,390.98 mph One-Way Light Time 21:15:46 (hh:mm:ss) 17:37:30 (hh:mm:ss) Cosmic Ray Data
What was Voyager 1’s closest approach to Saturn?
Voyager 1’s closest approach to Saturn was at 23:46 UT Nov. 12, 1980, at a range of about 78,290 miles (126,000 kilometers). Following the encounter with Saturn, Voyager 1 headed on a trajectory to escape the solar system at a speed of about 3.5 AU (325 million miles or 523 million kilometers) per year,…