Voyager 1 and 2 - UPDATE Narrated Documentary.

Summary

The Voyager spacecrafts, launched in 1977, embarked on an ambitious mission to explore the outer planets during a rare alignment. Voyager 2, the only probe to visit Uranus and Neptune, and Voyager 1, the farthest human-made object, continue to send data from beyond the solar system. Equipped with scientific instruments, they have studied planets, moons, rings, and magnetic fields, and now venture into interstellar space, with their signals expected to fade by 2025.

Takeaways

• 🚀 The Grand Tour was a proposed mission in the 1960s to take advantage of a rare planetary alignment for a comprehensive study of the outer planets.
• 🛰️ The Voyager spacecrafts, launched in 1977, were designed to explore Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, using gravitational assists to extend their trajectories.
• 🔭 Voyager 2 holds the record for visiting the most planets, having explored Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, while Voyager 1 is the farthest human-made object from Earth.
• 🌌 Both Voyagers have provided invaluable data on the outer planets, their moons, rings, and magnetic fields, contributing to our understanding of the solar system.
• 🛠 Voyagers were remotely reprogrammed to enhance their capabilities beyond their initial design, showcasing adaptability in space exploration.
• 🔋 The spacecrafts are powered by radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs), which will eventually deplete, ceasing all operations around 2025-2027.
• 📡 Communication with Voyagers is maintained through the Deep Space Network, which uses large antennas to send and receive signals that have significantly weakened by the time they reach Earth.
• 🛂 The Voyagers carry scientific instruments that have been crucial for their exploration, with some still active, studying cosmic rays, plasma waves, and magnetic fields.
• 🛑 Some instruments have been shut down to conserve power, and non-essential heaters have also been systematically turned off to extend the spacecrafts' operational life.
• 🌐 Voyager 1's exit from the solar system was determined by measuring the change in plasma density and the shift in particle sources from solar wind to galactic wind.
• 🌠 The Voyagers are destined to continue their journey through interstellar space, potentially outliving the solar system and carrying a message from humanity into the cosmos.

Q & A

What was the purpose of the Grand Tour proposed in the 1960s?

The Grand Tour was an ambitious plan to send unmanned probes to the outer planets of the solar system to study them, taking advantage of a rare alignment of the planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto in the late 1970s.

Why were the Voyager spacecrafts launched in 1977?

The Voyager spacecrafts were launched in 1977 to take advantage of the rare planetary alignment that would not occur again for 176 years, allowing them to visit the outer planets using a gravitational slingshot effect.

What was the primary mission of the Voyager spacecrafts?

The primary mission of the Voyager spacecrafts was the exploration of Jupiter and Saturn, with the mission later being extended to include the exploration of Uranus and Neptune by Voyager 2.

How did the Voyager spacecrafts use Jupiter for their mission?

The Voyager spacecrafts used Jupiter as a gravitational slingshot to extend their trajectory to the other planets further out in the solar system.

Which Voyager spacecraft holds the record for visiting the most planets?

Voyager 2 holds the record for visiting the most planets, being the only spacecraft to have visited Uranus and Neptune.

What was the Voyager 1's speed when it became the most distant human-made object in outer space?

Voyager 1 was traveling at a speed of 39,000 miles per hour when it passed Pioneer 10 to become the most distant human-made object in outer space.

What is the Voyager Interstellar Mission?

The Voyager Interstellar Mission is the designation given to the Voyager project in January 1990, after the completion of their primary mission, focusing on exploring beyond the solar system.

How many instruments are still working on Voyager 1 and Voyager 2?

There are four instruments still working on Voyager 1 and five instruments still working on Voyager 2.

What is the purpose of the low energy charged particle detector on the Voyager spacecrafts?

The low energy charged particle detector measures the number of low-energy particles hitting the spacecraft and determines their speed, studying cosmic radiation and particles from the Sun, planets, and interstellar space.

How do the Voyager spacecrafts communicate with Earth?

The Voyager spacecrafts communicate with Earth via a 3.7-meter diameter high gain antenna, sending and receiving radio waves through the Deep Space Network stations on Earth.

What is the expected timeline for the Voyager spacecrafts to cease operations?

The Voyager spacecrafts are expected to cease operations around 2025 due to the decay of the radioactive Plutonium 238 that powers them, but with careful power management, they may function through 2027.

How do scientists determine that Voyager 1 has entered interstellar space?

Scientists determined that Voyager 1 entered interstellar space by measuring the density of plasma surrounding the spacecraft using sound wave information from solar flares, and observing changes in the abundance of particles from the Sun and interstellar space.

What is the Voyager 1's expected encounter with a star in the future?

Voyager 1 is expected to encounter a star in 40,000 years when it flies about 1.7 light-years away from an obscure star in the constellation Camelopardalis called AC + 79 3888.

How long will it take for Voyager 1 to complete one orbit around the center of the Milky Way?

It will take Voyager 1 approximately 225 million years to complete one orbit around the center of the Milky Way.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 The Grand Tour and Voyager Missions

The script discusses the ambitious 'Grand Tour' space mission of the 1960s, aimed at exploring the outer planets during a rare alignment in the late 1970s. The Voyager 1 and 2 spacecrafts were launched in 1977 to leverage this alignment, using gravitational assists to visit Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The missions discovered 48 moons and studied planetary rings and magnetic fields. Voyager 1 holds the record for the farthest human-made object, while Voyager 2 is the only spacecraft to have visited Uranus and Neptune. The spacecrafts were equipped with various scientific instruments that are still active, contributing to our understanding of our solar system and interstellar space.

05:02

🛰️ Voyager Spacecraft's Instruments and Communication

This paragraph delves into the instruments aboard the Voyager spacecrafts, including the low energy charged particle detector, cosmic ray instrument, plasma wave subsystem, and magnetometers. These tools have been instrumental in studying solar wind, cosmic radiation, and the transition between interplanetary and interstellar media. The spacecrafts communicate with Earth via the Deep Space Network, using a high-gain antenna and radio waves. Despite their age, the Voyagers' signals are still strong enough to be detected, although the transmitter on Voyager 2 has been using a backup since 1978. The spacecrafts' power comes from radioisotope thermoelectric generators, which are expected to cease functioning around 2025.

10:02

🌌 Voyager 1's Entry into Interstellar Space

The script explains how scientists determined that Voyager 1 had entered interstellar space by measuring the density of plasma and the change in solar wind versus galactic wind. Despite the failure of Voyager 1's plasma detector in 1980, the analysis of sound wave information from solar flares allowed for the measurement of plasma density. This data, along with the increase in galactic cosmic rays and decrease in solar particles, confirmed Voyager 1's position in interstellar space. The spacecraft is now surrounded by cosmic rays from outside our solar system.

15:05

🌠 Voyagers' Journey Through the Milky Way

The final paragraph outlines the long-term trajectory of the Voyager spacecrafts as they continue their journey through the cosmos. It details the time it will take for each spacecraft to pass various celestial bodies, including the Oort cloud and nearby stars, and the estimated time for completing an orbit around the Milky Way's center. The paragraph also contemplates the ultimate fate of the Voyagers, which could include surviving a collision of galaxies and continuing their eternal journey through space, potentially outliving the solar system and the Milky Way itself.

Keywords

💡Voyager spacecrafts

The Voyager spacecrafts, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, are the main subjects of the video. Launched in 1977, they were designed to take advantage of a rare planetary alignment to explore the outer planets of our solar system. These twin spacecrafts have since traveled beyond the solar system and continue to send data back to Earth. The script describes their mission, the instruments they carry, and their current status as they venture into interstellar space.

💡Gravitational slingshot

A gravitational slingshot, also known as a gravity assist, is a method used by the Voyager spacecrafts to gain speed and change their trajectory by using the gravity of a planet like Jupiter. This technique allowed the spacecrafts to extend their reach to other outer planets without using additional fuel. The script mentions how the Voyagers used Jupiter as a gravitational slingshot to continue their journey to Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

💡Planetary alignment

The planetary alignment refers to the rare and favorable positioning of the outer planets in the late 1970s, which allowed the Voyager spacecrafts to travel to multiple planets in an efficient and time-saving manner. The script explains that this alignment would not occur again for another 176 years, making the Voyager missions time-sensitive and opportunistic.

💡Interstellar space

Interstellar space is the region between star systems, beyond the influence of the Sun's solar wind. The script details how Voyager 1 entered interstellar space in 2012, becoming the first human-made object to do so. It discusses the scientific significance of this achievement and the data collected by the spacecrafts as they explore this uncharted territory.

💡Radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs)

RTGs are power sources used by the Voyager spacecrafts. They generate electricity from the heat produced by the radioactive decay of Plutonium-238. The script explains that these generators are crucial for the continued operation of the spacecrafts' instruments, despite being far from the Sun and unable to use solar power.

💡Deep Space Network (DSN)

The Deep Space Network is a system of large antennas located around the globe that NASA uses to communicate with distant spacecraft, including the Voyagers. The script describes how the DSN's global positioning allows for constant communication with the Voyagers, despite their vast distances from Earth.

💡Magnetic fields

Magnetic fields are discussed in the context of the Voyager spacecrafts' exploration of the outer planets and their current mission in interstellar space. The script mentions how magnetometers on the Voyagers were used to study the magnetic fields of the planets and are now helping scientists understand the transition from the solar wind's influence to interstellar space.

💡Plasma waves

Plasma waves are oscillations in the charged particles that make up plasma, which is a state of matter found in stars and interstellar space. The script explains how the plasma wave subsystem on the Voyagers was used to measure electrical field components at the outer planets and is now providing information about plasma wave changes as the spacecrafts enter interstellar space.

💡Cosmic rays

Cosmic rays are high-energy particles originating from outside our solar system. The script discusses how the cosmic ray instrument on the Voyagers is detecting particles from inside the solar system's influence bubble and from interstellar space, helping scientists determine when Voyager 1 entered interstellar space.

💡Oort cloud

The Oort cloud is a theoretical sphere of icy objects that surrounds the Sun at great distances, considered the outermost region of the solar system. The script mentions that Voyager 1 will not be considered to be in pristine interstellar space until it has passed through the Oort cloud, which could take another 300 years.

💡Interstellar medium

The interstellar medium refers to the matter and radiation that exists in the space between star systems. The script describes how the Voyager spacecrafts are now exploring the interstellar medium, studying the transition from the solar system's influence to the broader galaxy.

Highlights

The Grand Tour was a proposed planetary tour in the 1960s to study the outer planets using unmanned probes.

A rare alignment of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto in the late 1970s was the basis for the Voyager mission timing.

Voyager spacecrafts were launched in 1977 to utilize the planetary alignment for a more efficient exploration trajectory.

Voyager 2 was the only spacecraft to visit Uranus and Neptune, expanding the mission beyond Jupiter and Saturn.

Remote control programming enhanced the Voyagers' capabilities beyond their initial launch capabilities.

Voyagers explored 48 moons and the unique ring and magnetic field systems of the outer planets.

Voyager 1 overtook Voyager 2 in the asteroid belt in December 1977, becoming the faster spacecraft.

Voyager 1 became the most distant human-made object in outer space in February 1998.

Voyager 1 left the solar system in 2002, marking a significant milestone in space exploration.

Voyager 2 holds the record for visiting more planets than any other man-made object in history.

Voyagers were equipped with scientific instruments to study the solar system and beyond, with some still active today.

The low energy charged particle detector and cosmic ray instrument are active on both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, studying cosmic radiation.

The plasma wave subsystem and magnetometers continue to provide data on plasma waves and magnetic fields.

Voyager 1's plasma detector malfunctioned in 1980, necessitating alternative methods to study plasma.

Voyager 1's location in interstellar space was determined by measuring the density of plasma using sound wave data from solar flares.

Voyager 1 will encounter the star AC + 79 3888 in 40,000 years, while Voyager 2 will pass by Sirius in 296,000 years.

The Voyagers are expected to orbit the Milky Way galaxy for billions of years before a potential collision with the Andromeda galaxy.

The Voyagers' communication systems, including an 8-track tape recorder and thrusters, have been crucial for maintaining contact with Earth.

NASA's Deep Space Network enables continuous communication with the Voyagers despite their immense distance.

The Voyagers are equipped with radioisotope thermoelectric generators as a power source, expected to last until around 2025.

Transcripts

In the 1960s a grand planetary tour to

study the outer planets was proposed. It

was an ambitious plan to send unmanned

probes to the outer planets of the outer

solar system. The Grand Tour could

exploit a rare unusual and favorable

alignment of the planets Jupiter Saturn

Uranus Neptune and Pluto. This planetary

alignment would occur in the late 1970s

and would not occur again for a hundred

and seventy-six years. So the twin

Voyager spacecrafts one and two were

launched in 1977 to take advantage of

this special planetary alignment. It

would allow a probe to be sent to

Jupiter and use that planet as a

gravitational slingshot to extend the

trajectory to the other planets further

out in the solar system. The primary

mission of the Voyager spacecrafts was

the exploration of Jupiter and Saturn.

After making a series of outstanding

discoveries the mission was extended.

Voyager 2 went on to explore Uranus and

Neptune and is still the only spacecraft

to have visited those outer planets.

Remote control programming was used to

endowed the voyagers with greater

capabilities than they had when they

left the earth. Eventually

Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 explored all the

giant outer planets of our solar system,

48 of their moons and the unique system

of rings and magnetic fields that those

planets possess. In December 1977 Voyager 2

entered the asteroid belt. Nine days

later

Voyager 1 traveling at a greater speed

overtook Voyager 2. In February 1998

Voyager 1 passed pioneer 10 to become

the most distant human-made object in

outer space. In 2002

Voyager 1 left the solar system rising

above the ecliptic plane at an angle of

35 degrees

and at a speed of 39,000 miles per hour.

Voyager 2 also left the solar system

diving below the ecliptic plane at an

angle of 48 degrees and a speed of 30

4,500 miles per hour . Voyager 2 still

holds the record of traveling to more

planets than any other man-made object

in history. And Voyager 1 holds the

record as the Explorer from Earth that

has traveled farthest from home. Voyager

1 and 2 completed their exploration of

the outer planets in the first dozen

years of their mission. Having completed

their primary mission in 1989 the

Voyagers were ready to begin exploring

outside the solar system. In January 1990

with voyagers new destinations outside

the solar system the project's

designation was changed to Voyager

Interstellar Mission. Both voyagers

continue exploring where nothing from

Earth has flown before. In order to

explore the solar system and beyond,

Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 were equipped

with a large number of special

scientific instruments, suites and

subsystems. Most of the instruments are

located on the body of the spacecraft.

Each spacecraft is comprised of 65,000

individual parts. Of the dozens of

working instruments that the voyagers

left earth with, there are only four

instruments still working on Voyager 1

and five instruments still working on

Voyager 2. The low energy charged

particle detector and its three sets of

particle sensors measure how many

low-energy particles hit it and

determine the speed of those particles.

It studies cosmic radiation and

particles that emanate from the Sun, the

planets and interstellar space. It is

active on both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2

The cosmic ray instrument looks for very

high energetic particles from the Sun

and other galactic sources. It currently

is detecting the abundance of particles

from inside the bubble of our sun's

influence and also particles that

emanate outside of the bubble in

interstellar space.

These readings help scientists determine

when Voyager 1 entered interstellar

space. It is still active on both Voyager 1

and Voyager 2. The plasma wave

subsystem uses the 2 long antennas on

the spacecraft which stretch at right

angles to one another. It was used to

measure the electrical field components

of possible waves at the outer planets

but now the instrument is providing

information about the changes to plasma

waves as they enter interstellar space,

It is still active on both Voyager 1 and

Voyager 2. The magnetometers job was to

investigate the magnetic fields of the

outer planets but now its primary job is

to search for the transition region

between the interplanetary and

interstellar media. They investigate the

magnetic characteristics of the

transition region at the solar wind

boundary where the sun's magnetic

influence interacts with and gives way

to the magnetic field of interstellar

space. This instrument is still working

on both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. Finally

the plasma science instrument looks for

the lowest energy particles in plasma. It

also has the ability to look for

particles moving at particular speeds

and to a limited extent to determine the

direction from which they come. This is

important as the spacecraft enters

interstellar space. The instrument is now

active only on Voyager 2. The other

instruments have either stopped working

on their own or have been shut down to

preserve power. NASA has also

systematically shut down heaters on both

crafts to save power. In 1998, 21 years

after launch,

non-essential instruments were

permanently shut off. The power source on

each spacecraft is a group of three

radioisotope thermoelectric generators

The RTGS give off heat by the decay of

radioactive Plutonium 238 and turning it

into electricity.

Eventually the plutonium 238 will have

decayed completely and will no longer be

able to provide power, at which time all

instrumentation will cease to operate.

This should occur around 2025 but with

careful power management the Voyager

team hopes to keep both spacecraft

functioning through 2027, the 50th

anniversary of their launch. The voyagers

are each equipped with a pair of

thrusters which are not used for

propelling the craft forward, but for

reorienting the probe so that it's

antenna is always pointing at the earth.

Otherwise we would not be able to

communicate with it. These thrusters fire

in tiny pulses or puffs lasting mere

milliseconds to subtly rotate the

spacecraft so that its antenna points at

the earth. Since the primary thrusters on

Voyager 1 had degraded, scientists fired

up the backup thrusters in November 2017

so that Voyager 1 could keep its lock on

the earth. They had not been activated in

almost 40 years but they came to life to

reorient the spacecraft's antennae.

Voyager 2, whose primary thrusters were

still working, was able to also keep its

orientation toward the earth.

The voyagers communicate with earth via

a 3.7 meter diameter high gain antenna

which sends and receives radio waves via

three Deep Space Network stations on the

earth. Voyagers main transmitter radiates

about 20 watts which is comparable to a

typical refrigerator light bulb.

By the time Voyagers’ signal reaches

Earth its strength has diminished to

about 20 billion times weaker than a

digital watch battery. Your iPhone has

100,000 times more memory than the

Voyager spacecraft,

Although state-of-the-art at the time

Voyagers computer systems are vintage

1974-75, causing NASA to look for

programmers who understand decades-old

software. In fact Voyager is equipped

with an 8-track tape recorder which it

uses to store information for

transmission to Earth. In 1978 the

transmitter failed on Voyager 2 so the

backup transmitter has been used ever

since. The voyagers signal however is

bright when compared to most natural

objects studied by radio telescopes.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory

communicates with Voyager practically

everyday via NASA's Deep Space Network

but it takes someone with 1970s design

experience to be able to understand

Voyager . The Deep Space Network consists

of three antenna complexes that are

stationed around the globe approximately

a hundred and twenty longitudinal

degrees apart. They are located in Madrid

Spain, Goldstone California and Canberra

Australia. The global separation of the

stations allows the spacecraft to have

an uninterrupted line of sight

with at least one station regardless of

the time of day.

These massive antennas have been

upgraded several times to accommodate

receiving signals from Voyager and other

spacecraft Voyager 1 and Voyager 2

signals can still be received by all

three stations but Canberra is the only

one with a powerful enough transmitter

that can transmit to the Voyagers.

Centers at each DSN site receive

incoming information then send it to the

Space Flight Operations facility at the

Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena

California. Due to the incredible

weakness of the spacecraft's downlink, by

the time it reaches Earth, large

parabolic reflectors and hyperbolic sub

reflectors collect the microwave

radiation and focus it on a

cryogenically cooled receiver at the

base of the antenna. While one of the

antennas is more than powerful enough to

transmit to Voyager, a single 34 meter

antenna does not collect enough

electromagnetic radiation to detect

Voyagers downlink. So antennas at each

site are linked together so that they

can simultaneously receive the signals

from the spacecraft providing increased

gain. It currently takes more than 19

hours for Voyager to receive signals

from Earth and 19 hours for earth to

receive signals sent by Voyager. The

massive antennas that comprise NASA's

Deep Space Network will pick up a faint

distant signal for the final time around

2025. It will track the downlink signal

from the spacecraft as it sputters into

silence and becomes part of the

background noise of the solar system,

never to be heard from by humans again.

So how do we know Voyager 1 is in the

interstellar space. The most convenient

way to determine the location of Voyager 1

was to measure the temperature,

pressure and density of plasma or

ionized gas around the spacecraft.

Everything inside the solar bubble or

heliosphere should be exposed to plasma

that streams from the Sun, whereas

interstellar space is filled with denser

plasma emanating from interstellar space

as a result of the explosion of giant

stars millions of years before.

Unfortunately Voyager 1’s plasma

detector stopped working in 1980 and

hasn't functioned for almost 40 years. So

scientists needed to examine the plasma

or charged particles which fill the

bubble encasing our solar system and

compare that with the plasma or charged

particles that occur in interstellar

space, ithout the use of Voyager 1’s

plasma detector. We needed to compare the

solar wind versus the galactic wind each

traveling in a different direction. Since

July of 2012 the solar wind has

decreased and the galactic wind has

increased, placing the craft in what is

known as the magnetic highway. Plasma

consists of charged particles and is

more prevalent in the extreme cold of

interstellar space than in the bubble of

solar wind that permeates our solar

system. The plasma detector on Voyager 1

had been designed to measure the

composition of those two plasmas but

without that instruments such

measurements were not possible.

Fortunately and by chance a pair of

solar flares blasted charged particles

in Voyagers direction in 2011 and 2012.

It took a year for the particles to

reach the spacecraft but they did

eventually and they provided sound wave

information that could be used to

determine how dense the plasma was in

voyagers location. When that last wave

reached Voyager it caused the plasma

around Voyager to vibrate or oscillate

in a certain particular tone. By

measuring that soundwave we could

measure the density of the plasma

surrounding the spacecraft. Scientists

knew then that Voyager 1 was in a place

no spacecraft had ever been before. It

was on the magnetic highway where all

particles that were inside the

heliosphere had streamed away and were

now gone. What we now saw instead were

cosmic rays from outside the heliosphere.

The data showed a huge spike in the

number of galactic cosmic rays from

outside the solar system and a

corresponding decrease in particles

emanating from the Sun. All of the pink

colored ions you see here were from the

hot bubble of solar wind coming from our

Sun and permeating our solar system. They

were leaving the heliosphere along the

magnetic highway. And at the same time

the blue ions seen here are the cosmic

ions moving at a higher speed coming in

from interstellar space and from a

different direction. Voyager 1 is now in

a region where it is surrounded only by

cosmic rays accelerated from elsewhere

in the galaxy. Many scientists now

declare that Voyager 1 is in

interstellar space. There is a caveat

that comes with our ones exit from the

solar system however. Many scientists

consider the term solar system to mean

not only the planets in our solar system

and the sun's influence beyond, but that

the solar system extends up to the edge

of the Oort cloud. If so it will take

another 300 years for Voyager 1 to reach

the inner edge of the vast Oort cloud.

And the journey through the Oort cloud

could take another 30,000 years. Only

then will Voyager 1 be considered to be

in pristine interstellar space.

Voyager 1 is currently traveling at

about 38,000 miles per hour, a million

miles per day or about a billion miles

every three years. That velocity will

never change. It will go on forever.

Having left the solar system, the next

time it will encounter a star is in

40,000 years when it flies about 1.7

light-years away from an obscure star in

the constellation Camelopardalis called

AC + 79 3888

It will be in the year 40,000 282. And in

56,000 years Voyager 1 will pass out of

the Oort cloud. After another 570

thousand years Voyager 1 will brush past

the stars GJ 686 & GJ 678.

Voyager 2 traveling at 34,500

miles per hour is

also on course to enter interstellar

space, likely late 2019 or 2020. Voyager 2

is heading out of the solar system in

another direction from Voyager 1. Voyager

2 is not headed for any particular star

but in about 61,000 years from now

Voyager 2 will pass out of the Oort

cloud. After 296 thousand years in the

year two hundred and ninety eight

thousand AD, Voyager will pass by the

star Sirius at a distance of

4.3 light-years. About one hundred

thousand years after that, Voyager 2 will

brush past two stars Delta pav and GJ 754.

Beyond this both Voyagers will continue

into the void passing through dust

clouds and local bubbles of empty space

blown upon by dying stars. The

spacecrafts could be affected by dust

clouds and the gravitational pull of

rogues starless planets however.

Ultimately like the stars in the Milky

Way the Voyagers will orbit the center

of the Milky Way galaxy. It will take 225

million years to complete one orbit

around the center of the Milky Way. And

the voyagers will orbit for billions of

years or until our neighboring galaxy

Andromeda collides with the Milky Way.

Due to the enormous distances between

the stars, it is likely that the voyagers

will survive this collision of galaxies

however and continue their journey.

Frozen in the vacuum of space both

spacecraft and their contents need not

fear decay.

The ultimate death of the voyagers could

come from thousands of micro meteorite

impacts or one unforeseen collision.

The Voyagers however will probably

outlive the solar system long after our

Sun dies and long after the Milky Way

galaxy has been unalterably changed or

disappeared. The voyagers are destined

perhaps for all eternity to wander the

cosmos carrying with them the only