It is an established principle of science and the essence of human societies to pursue variety. Consequently, this is the most monumental space endeavor in human history, primarily due to its spirit of exploration that spawned the Voyager missions.
The Voyager initiative is a project undertaken by NASA, aiming to venture beyond the solar system to gather information about satellites both within and beyond our Sun's realm. Voyager 1 (V1) was launched by NASA on September 5, 1977, followed by Voyager 2 (V2) on August 20, 1977. Both are still actively contributing to our understanding of the universe.
At the time of Voyager's launch, no specific target location was predetermined for its operations in space, but its mission was to explore planets and their satellites at a granular level.
In 1980, NASA discovered that all the planets would align, a phenomenon that occurs every 175 years. This realization prompted NASA to decide to study all planets, dispatching Voyagers 1 and 2 for this task, as this alignment allowed for reduced fuel usage and shorter travel time.
Planning for both spacecraft began in 1972, and after five years of development, they were launched. NASA has invested significantly in the Voyager program to date, with Voyager 1 conducting studies on Jupiter and Saturn, while Voyager 2 explored Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Data communication from V1 and V2 primarily employed devices like tele cameras, ultraviolet sensors, plasma detectors, cosmic ray sensors, and charge particle sensors.
Antennas were established in countries including the USA, Spain, Japan, Australia, and France to receive data. While many antennas may seem unnecessary, having multiple stations ensures data retrieval even if one experiences malfunctions. Notably, V1 observed Jupiter's faint ring and its moons in 1981, while V2 focused on gathering information about Jupiter's Great Red Spot.
According to Ed Stone, a senior scientist at NASA, Voyager has disproven many previous theories about our solar system. Initially, it was believed that oceans and volcanoes were exclusive to Earth. However, Voyager 2's discovery of Jupiter's moons revealed that Io is predominantly volcanic, and Europa is encapsulated in ice, beneath which lies a vast ocean.
Moreover, V2 became the first spacecraft to visit Neptune and Uranus, discovering moons and the rings of Uranus, where winds reach speeds of 750 km/h and exhibit significantly stronger gravitational forces than Earth. As for Neptune, information gathered in 1982 revealed that it is devoid of methane atmospherics and has five moons along with six rings. To date, both spacecraft have transmitted over 100,000 images.
Voyager carries a golden disc, which is a gold-plated copper record akin to a gramophone disc that contains a phonograph recording. The intention behind this disc is to serve as a greeting to any extraterrestrial civilization that may encounter it, facilitating communication with Earth inhabitants. The gilded surface protects it from cosmic waves and radiation.
This disc comprises photographs and audio recordings depicting human culture, including greetings recorded in 155 languages, one of which is Gujarati. Additionally, Indian languages such as Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Punjabi, Malayalam, and Kannada are represented. Furthermore, around 40 sounds have been captured, such as heartbeats, rainfall, animal and bird sounds, thunder, and pieces from Indian classical music. Illustrations of a pulsar map included on the disc’s cover provide context for its use.
Scientists estimate that this disc will endure for a billion years. The Voyager missions symbolize humanity's message to potential civilizations in space, with V1 currently 28 billion km from Earth and V2 at 26.5 billion km, both traveling at speeds of 61,000 km/h.
Presently, it takes about 30 hours for V1 to transmit data back to Earth, while V2 takes around 27 hours; this duration is likely to increase in the future.
Even if an astronomical event leads to life on Earth ceasing in time to come, Voyager stands as a testament to our human legacy, echoing through the infinite cosmos. In essence, Voyager has forever immortalized human civilization.
~Bhautik Thummar
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