The Slow Newscast One light day: Voyager's long farewell
Sep 24, 2024
In this engaging discussion, Dave Cummings, a software engineer at JPL, and Linda Spilker, project scientist for NASA's Voyager missions, dive into the challenges and triumphs of restoring communication with the Voyager spacecraft after a 2023 anomaly. They explore its incredible history, from the launch in 1977 to its groundbreaking discoveries beyond our solar system. Cummings shares insights on the innovative engineering fixes, while Spilker reminisces about the Golden Record and its legacy, emphasizing Voyager's pivotal role in humanity's quest for interstellar knowledge.
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The Day Voyager Fell Silent
- Linda Spilker describes waking up on November 14th to a dial-tone signal instead of data from Voyager 1.
- The team realized something was wrong although the spacecraft was alive enough to send a carrier tone.
The Golden Record's Last-Minute Inclusion
- Carl Sagan led the late addition of the Golden Record, packed with images, greetings and music for future finders.
- The record includes instructions, a map to Earth, and diverse sounds like whale song and Beethoven.
Tiger Team Invitation
- Dave Cummings was recruited to a JPL Tiger team after managers told him about the anomaly in a private meeting.
- He accepted immediately because he couldn't refuse the chance to work on Voyager again.