Voyager set to enter interstellar space

[The Straight Story]

PhysOrg.com) -- More than 30 years after they left Earth, NASA's twin Voyager probes are now at the edge of the solar system. Not only that, they're still working. And with each passing day they are beaming back a message that, to scientists, is both unsettling and thrilling.

The message is, "Expect the unexpected."

"It's uncanny," says Ed Stone of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Voyager Project Scientist since 1972. "Voyager 1 and 2 have a knack for making discoveries."

Today, April 28, 2011, NASA held a live briefing to reflect on what the Voyager mission has accomplished--and to preview what lies ahead as the probes prepare to enter the realm of interstellar space in our Milky Way galaxy.

The adventure began in the late 1970s when the probes took advantage of a rare alignment of outer planets for an unprecedented Grand Tour. Voyager 1 visited Jupiter and Saturn, while Voyager 2 flew past Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. (Voyager 2 is still the only probe to visit Uranus and Neptune.)

briefing at main article link:
http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-04-voyager-interstellar-space.html

[Buzz Clik]

1. V'ger.

[PVnRT]

8. That was Voyager 7, I believe

[Buzz Clik]

9. Yeah, I was off a few voyager iterations.

It was Voyager 6.

I would suck at being a Trekker.

[PVnRT]

10. What's Star Trek?

I thought it was a documentary from the future. Now you're going to tell me that the TARDIS isn't real, either.

[DBoon]

2. "Interstellar Overdrive"

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. How exciting!!

[onehandle]

4. When the probe returns as 'V'Ger,' we'll be sorry. nt

[meegbear]

5. Holy James T Kirk Batman!

[GKirk]

6. Do you have any pictures of Uranus

that you could post? :)

[The Straight Story]

7. yes, but it has red welts on it from being spanked

:evilgrin:

[Phoonzang]

11. I think we could send a probe to catch up with Voyager in a reasonable time if

we actually equipped it with a propulsion system. A powerboat vs a bottle floating in the water.

I don't know WHY we'd do this...besides it being freaking awesome.

[AsahinaKimi]

12. Janeway is gonna be pissed being sent back to the delta quadrant

oh.. wait. Nvm.