The final signal from Voyager will take 24 hours to reach Earth
In short: Launched in 1977, the Voyager probes are nearing the end of their journey. This video chronicles 48 years of astronomical discovery and the technical struggle to keep these aging machines powered.
Initial energy for the Voyager probes came from three units of plutonium-238 weighing 10 pounds (4.5 kg), providing 470 watts at start. Due to their radioisotope generators losing 4 watts every year, the probes currently operate on about 225 watts.
This power decay means only four of the original eleven scientific instruments remain functional. Once power drops below 200 watts, the probes will lose the ability to point their antennas toward Earth, ending our ability to receive their signals from across 15 billion miles (25 billion kilometers) of space.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: The Final Goodbye to Voyager: A Chronicle of 48 Years That Rewrote Astronomy | 4K
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