this post was submitted on 15 Jun 2024
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[–] Buffalox@lemmy.world 13 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (4 children)

Incredible is the right word, how does this still work after more than 47 years? How do they even still have energy to send and receive signals? That's one heck of a durable power source. How do the computers and sensors still work? The reliability and durability of these probes is amazing. NASA truly had some reality wizards doing what seems like magic to accomplish this.

Either that or, aliens have been helping out and repaired it from time to time.

[–] tal@lemmy.today 12 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

How do they even still have energy to send and receive signals?

They're apparently on their last legs now in terms of being able to keep all the instruments running.

The Voyagers have enough electrical power and thruster fuel to keep its current suite of science instruments on until at least 2025.

They've been on their last legs for decades now

[–] GamingChairModel@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago

How do they even still have energy to send and receive signals? That's one heck of a durable power source.

It's literally decaying plutonium-238. And because it decays, it's putting out less power than when it started. They've shut down certain operations to conserve power, and obviously prioritize things like communication back to earth.

[–] Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago

How do they even still have energy to send and receive signals? That's one heck of a durable power source.

Nuclear power, it packs a punch!

[–] Cosmicomical@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago