Science and Space

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Ongoing Space Missions(7)

Voyager Interstellar Mission(VIM)

Mission Objective

To explore the outer limits of the Sun’s sphere of influence and possibly beyond. This extended mission is continuing to characterize the outer solar system environment and search for the heliopause boundary, the outer limits of the Sun’s magnetic field and outward flow of the solar wind.

Mission Characteristic

The VIM is an extension of the Voyager primary mission that was completed in 1989 with the close flyby of Neptune by the Voyager 2 spacecraft.Voyager 1 completed its planned close flybys of the Jupiter and Saturn planetary systems while Voyager 2, in addition to its own close flybys of Jupiter and Saturn, completed close flybys of the remaining two gas giants, Uranus and Neptune.

At the start of the VIM, the two Voyager spacecraft had been in flight for over 12 years having been launched in August (Voyager 2) and September (Voyager 1), 1977.

As of July 2003, Voyager 1 was at a distance of 13.3 Billion Kilometers (88 AU) from the sun and Voyager 2 at a distance of 10.6 Billion kilometers (70 AU).

Voyager 1 is escaping the solar system at a speed of about 3.6 AU per year, Voyager 2 is also escaping the

solar system at a speed of about 3.3 AU per year,

Both Voyagers are headed towards the outer boundary of the solar system in search of the heliopause, the region where the Sun’s influence wanes and the beginning of interstellar space can be sensed. The heliopause has never been reached by any spacecraft; the Voyagers may be the first to pass through this region, which is thought to exist somewhere from 8 to 14 billion miles from the Sun.

The Voyagers have enough electrical power and thruster fuel to operate at least until 2020. Eventually, the Voyagers will pass other stars. In about 40,000 years, Voyager 1 will drift within 1.6 light years (9.3 trillion miles) of AC+79 3888, a star in the constellation of Camelopardalis. In some 296,000 years, Voyager 2 will pass 4.3 light years (25 trillion miles) from Sirius, the brightest star in the sky . The Voyagers are destined—perhaps eternally—to wander the Milky Way.

Before leaving our solar systems, Voyagers made following major discoveries.

Saturn:

posted by: kyawoo at 08:01 | link | comments |
astronomy, unmanned missions, sun

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