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Voyager the Grand Tour to Interstellar Space Sky at Night MAGAZINE DISCOVER SPACE The story of voyager the grand tour to interstellar space EXCLUSIVE IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS WITH VOYAGER SCIENTISTS PLUS, NASA TELLS US HOW THE VOYAGERS CONTINUE TO SHAPE TODAY’S MISSIONS MARVELS AND MYSTERIES: OUR FARTHEST ENVOY: WHAT MESSAGES FOR ET: HOW THE VOYAGERS’ GREATEST VOYAGER 1 IS TELLING US THE GOLDEN RECORD COULD DISCOVERIES REVEALED ABOUT INTERSTELLAR SPACE HELP ALIENS FIND EARTH TECHNOLOGICALLYSUPERIOR THE ALL NEW “If you’re looking for a portable heavy duty mount... the CGX-L is a worthy contender” 0bca^]^\h=^f9d]T &XbbdT GERMAN EQUATORIAL MOUNT Celestron’s newly designed CGX-L Computerised Equatorial mount and tripod is the latest addition to the fully computerised equatorial mount series. Capable of carrying Celestron’s largest optical tubes with ease, CGX-L is designed for backyard observatories and remote imagers looking for exceptional load capacity to weight ratio, compact design, and innovative features that fully support large telescopes, imaging kits, and the latest in Additional Ports wireless tech accessories. ~4gcaP[PaVT&$[QRP_PRXch ~;PaVTa ##\\SXP\TcTa f^a\fWTT[b ~;^]VTa!&\\S^eTcPX[bPSS[Tc^bd__^ac [PaVTa^_cXRP[cdQTb ~AT\^cT^_TaPcX^]UaXT]S[hUTPcdaTb ~8]cTa]P[RPQ[T\P]PVT\T]c Longer Dovetail Saddle ~<TRWP]XRP[P]STaV^]^\XR X\_a^eT\T]cbcWa^dVW^dc ~BcdaSXTaTPbXTac^dbTP]STPbXTa c^caP]b_^ac COMPACT. ERGONOMIC. INNOVATIVE. 2^]ca^[b^UcfPaTX]R^]Yd]RcX^]fXcW Smoother Belt Drive System ALSO AVAILABLE THE ORIGINAL Compact Designed Tripod ~;PaVT$$[QRP_PRXch ~0[[]TfSTbXV] BcdaSXTaP]S\^aT aXVXSfXcW`dXRZTa SP\_T]X]VcX\T ~8\_a^eTS\^c^ab P]SSaXeTbhbcT\b Celestron® and StarSenseTM are registered trademarks or trademarks of Celestron Acquisition, LLC in the United States and in dozens of other countries around the world. All rights reserved. David Hinds Ltd is an authorised distributor and reseller of Celestron products. FOREWORD WELCOME The twin Voyager “Between them the Voyagers spacecraft have been speeding visited four planets and 48 moons, OF VOYAGER STORY THE through the 23 of which we had no idea existed” cosmos for two-thirds of the interstellar space. It’s an astounding since 1972 – before the spacecraft entire Space Age. legacy for a pair of probes that each have were even called ‘Voyager’. But Dreamt up in those around 240,000 times less computing what of the future? NASA director heady, halcyon years that preceded the power than an average smartphone of planetary science James Green Apollo 11 landing as a ‘Grand Tour’ of and an eight-track tape for a brain. reveals how the Voyagers continue WKHRXWHUSODQHWVDQGƅQDOO\ODXQFKHG The story of Voyager is one of the to shape modern space exploration. LQWKH\ZHQWRQWRUHGHƅQHRXU most complex there is – so as well It’s a majestic tale that’s echoed understanding of the Solar System. as giving you the rundown of their through the years and is expected The past 40 years have been revelatory. myriad discoveries, we asked the people to continue for a decade more. Between them the Voyagers visited four involved in the mission to relive it in their Won’t you join us for the ride? planets and 48 moons, 23 of which we own words. They include Carolyn Porco, had no idea existed. They saw new who spotted the still-unexplained rings, volcanoes, geysers and even spokes in the rings of Saturn and helped aurorae. Now Voyager 1 is pushing the organise the Solar System’s ‘family very limit of exploration, as it ventures portrait’; Suzanne Dodd, mastermind beyond the solar bubble our star forces of the ongoing interstellar mission; and out around it and into the unknown of Ed Stone, Voyager’s project scientist Kev Lochun, Editor EDITORIAL PUBLISHING © Immediate Media Company Bristol 2017. All rights reserved. No part of The Story Of Voyager may be reproduced in any Editor Kev Lochun Publisher Jemima Dixon form or by any means either wholly or in part, without prior Managing Editor Chris Bramley Managing Director Andy Marshall written permission of the publisher. Not to be resold, lent, hired Art Editor Steve Marsh CEO Tom Bureau out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade at more than the recommended retail price or in mutilated condition. Printed Production Editor Rob Banino in the UK by William Gibbons Ltd. The publisher, editor and BBC WORLDWIDE authors accept no responsibility in respect of any products, CONTRIBUTORS President of UK and ANZ Marcus Arthur goods or services which may be advertised or referred to in this Ben Evans, Mark Garlick, James Green, Director of Consumer Products and Publishing issue or for any errors, omissions, misstatements or mistakes in Elizabeth Pearson, Ben Skuse, Andrew Moultrie any such advertisements or references. Paul Sutherland, Iain Todd Director of Editorial Governance Nicholas Brett Publishing Director, UK Publishing Chris Kerwin THANKS TO Publisher Magazines and NPD Mandy Thwaites Bonnie Buratti, Suzanne Dodd, Linda Morabito, UK Publishing Coordinator Eva Abramik Carolyn Porco, Ed Stone ([email protected]) CIRCULATION / ADVERTISING www.bbcworldwide.com/uk--anz/ Head of Circulation Rob Brock ukpublishing.aspx Advertising Managers Neil Lloyd (0117 300 8276) Tony Robinson (0117 314 8811) Like what PRODUCTION Production Director Sarah Powell you’ve read? Production Coordinator Derrick Andrews COVER IMAGE:COVER MARK GARLICK - FURNISHED WITH PHOTOGRAPHIC ELEMENTS © STEVE MARSH, BY NASA/JPL-CALTECH THIS PAGE: NASA/JPL-CALTECH/PROCESSING Reprographics Tony Hunt and Chris Sutch Email us at: [email protected] www.skyatnightmagazine.com 3 CONTENTS Contents 6 PHASE I GRAND IDEAS 8 The pre-Voyager years 12 The chance of three lifetimes 20 A nuclear-powered marvel 22 The Voyagers’ bumpy rides 25 Voyager’s great milestones 26 Subscribe to BBC Sky at Night Magazine 28 PHASE II OLD FRIENDS 30 Secrets erupt from Jupiter 38 The voices of Voyager: Linda Morabito 42 Titanic discoveries at Saturn 50 The voices of Voyager: Carolyn Porco 53 The Pale Blue Dot 54 PHASE III UNCHARTED TERRITORY 56 The unknown realm THE STORY OF VOYAGER STORY THE of the ice giants 64 The voices of Voyager: Bonnie Buratti 68 The Solar System’s family portrait 70 So long, Solar System 78 The voices of Voyager: Suzanne Dodd 82 PHASE IV A GRAND LEGACY 84 Lessons from the voyage 90 Messages from the stars 94 The voices of Voyager: Ed Stone 98 How will the Voyagers’ meet their end? 4 www.skyatnightmagazine.com CONTENTS THE STORY OF VOYAGER STORY THE MARK GARLICK www.skyatnightmagazine.com 5 GRAND IDEAS US artist Ken Hodges created paintings of many NASA missions; here’s his imagining of Voyager 1’s encounter with Jupiter in 1979 THE STORY OF VOYAGER STORY THE PHASE I GRAND IDEAS efore Voyager, our knowledge of the outer them all. Translating this idea into the eventual giants was patchy. Jupiter had only been Voyager spacecraft was not easy. Their visited twice by human probes, Saturn only development was plagued by tightening budgets Bonce, and Uranus and Neptune not at all. DQGWHFKQLFDOFRQFHUQVDQGZKHQWKHSUREHVƅQDOO\ Then in 1965, JPL intern Gary Flandro noticed launched in August and September 1977, they were something extraordinary: in the late 1970s, all four RQO\RIƅFLDOO\ERXQGIRU-XSLWHUDQG6DWXUQ7KDW outer planets would be ranged on the same side of the Voyagers were built with an extended mission the Solar System, offering the tantalising prospect to the outer giants in mind is testament to the of one spacecraft completing a ‘Grand Tour’ of optimism that steeped the mission as a whole. 6 www.skyatnightmagazine.com GRAND IDEAS THE STORY OF VOYAGER STORY THE GRANGER HISTORICAL PICTURE ARCHIVE/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO STOCK ARCHIVE/ALAMY PICTURE GRANGER HISTORICAL www.skyatnightmagazine.com 7 GRAND IDEAS: BEFORE VOYAGER Galileo first demonstrated his telescope design in 1609. His observations revealed Jupiter’s moons in 1610 WKDW-XSLWHUŚRQHRIWKH EULJKWHVWREMHFWVLQWKHVN\ The pre-Voyager ŚZDVQDPHGDIWHUWKH5RPDQVŝ PRVWLPSRUWDQWJRG6DWXUQŝV VORZPRYHPHQWDFURVVWKH KHDYHQVRQWKHRWKHUKDQGZDV DVVRFLDWHGZLWK-XSLWHUŝVIDWKHU THE STORY OF VOYAGER STORY THE WKHJRGNQRZQIRUEHLQJWKH Ŝ%ULQJHURI2OG$JHŝ8QNQRZQWR WKHHDUO\VWDUJD]HUVZDVWKHIDFW WKDWWKHVHSODQHWVOD\KXQGUHGV Long before scientists sat down to discuss Voyager’s RIPLOOLRQVRINLORPHWUHVDZD\ years VRWKH\FRXOGVFDUFHO\KDYH grand adventure across the Solar System, people LPDJLQHGWKHZRUOGVZRXOG were looking up and wondering about the planets EHIDUODUJHUWKDQRXURZQ the twin spacecraft would one day visit 2QO\ZLWKWKHLQYHQWLRQRIWKH WHOHVFRSHGLGWKHGLVWDQWSODQHWV Words: Ben Evans DQG6DWXUQ(YHQDIWHUWKH HPHUJHIURPWKHJORRP H[LVWHQFHRI1HSWXQHZDV JULY 2011 MARKED Neptune’s FRQƅUPHGE\REVHUYDWLRQ Revelations ƅUVWIXOORUELWRIWKH6XQVLQFH LQRXULGHDVDERXW ,Q*DOLOHR*DOLOHLIRFXVHG LWVGLVFRYHU\\HDUVHDUOLHU WKHVHIRXURXWHUZRUOGV KLVKDQGFUDIWHGWHOHVFRSHRQ ŚWKHFRPSOHWLRQRIDMRXUQH\ ZHUHIDUUHPRYHGIURP -XSLWHUDQGVSRWWHGIRXUVWDU LWKDGWUDFHGRXWPLOOLRQVRI ZKDWZHNQRZWRGD\ OLNHREMHFWVQHDUE\6XEVHTXHQW WLPHVEHIRUHZKLOVWZHRQ 7KH\ZHUHOLWWOHPRUH REVHUYDWLRQVUHYHDOHGWKHP (DUWKZHUHQRQHWKHZLVHU WKDQSRLQWVRIOLJKW WREHQDWXUDOVDWHOOLWHVŚWKH ,WVHHPVVWUDQJHQRZWR LQWKHQLJKWVN\ HDUOLHVWNQRZQDIWHURXUZ WKLQNWKDWRQO\\HDUVSULRU .QRZQWR Y Jupiter, the Solar System’s ERWK1HSWXQHDQG8UDQXVZHUH DVWURQRPHUVDQG largest planet, takes its name XQNQRZQWRXVDQGWKDWWKH DVWURORJHUVVLQFH from the king of the gods in 6RODU6\VWHPŜHQGHGŝZLWK-XSLWHU DQWLTXLW\LWŝVƅWWLQJ the Roman pantheon NASA ISTOCK, X 8 SCIENCE IMAGES/ALAMY PHOTO, STOCK HISTORY 8 www.skyatnightmagazine.com GRAND IDEAS: BEFORE VOYAGER the plucky Pioneers In December 1973, three and a half drop in high- centuries
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