Freethought & Rationalism Archive

MattR · 02-26-2003, 04:08 PM

Go in peace little ambassador for humanity.

http://amesnews.arc.nasa.gov/releases/2003/03_25HQ.html

Jesse · 02-26-2003, 04:16 PM

On Boing Boing someone made the following comment about this story:

Quote:

anser:
Pioneer 10 has not fallen silent - its broadcast wattage has incrementally decreased to the point where the existing "big dishes" on Earth can no longer separate its signal from the background noise when its antenna is pointed right at us (which already was only happening every few months).

The on-board instrumentation (what's left running, most of it was commanded off to preserve power for the signal) should survive for decades. It would not surprise me if, in say 2050, the people operating a miles-wide Orbital Radio Astronomy Antenna out at L-1 successfully acquire Pioneer 10 again.

Shake · 03-03-2003, 11:17 AM

Not bad for a piece of machinery that they only expected to work for (something like) 21 months!

02-26-2003, 04:08 PM	#1
MattR Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: PA Posts: 46	Pioneer 10 falls silent Go in peace little ambassador for humanity. http://amesnews.arc.nasa.gov/releases/2003/03_25HQ.html

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03-03-2003, 11:17 AM	#3
Shake Contributor Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Folding@Home in upstate NY Posts: 14,394	Not bad for a piece of machinery that they only expected to work for (something like) 21 months!

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