I once found a manual describing the machine code for the Voyager computers (can't find it anymore). Recently there was a flipped bit in memory which caused serious problems:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2010-151
One of the things I find most fascinating about the mission are the RF systems -- the antenna on voyager is approx 40 watts yet the ground systems can read something on the order of kilobits per second -- and they are billions of miles away.
Potentially, optical (laser) transmitters have a lot more bandwidth, but need very fine aiming control. At those distances, a high-gain antenna would have to be too large to be feasible, even with an extensive upgrade of ground-based receivers.
In the book "Voyager : seeking newer worlds in the third great age of discovery" they said that as the crafts got further out they had to use large radio antenna's in Spain, Hawaii, and Australia to lock onto the signal, creating an Earth-scale virtual antenna.
These are part of NASA's Deep Space Network, used to communicate with the fleet of interplanetary spacecraft (as well as plenty of satellites and the ISS). The you mentioned the three largest ones, each with a 70 meter dish.
It's interesting in that it consists of 15.000 small antennas and they are using computers to combine the signals which effectively gives you a 1 square kilometer "dish".
What a magnificent story. It's amazing to me how he he and the spacecraft are so connected. The radios go off, he works on other projects, until one day they are reunited as both reach the ends of their journey, transitioning to whatever lies beyond.
I'm saying that last part without hyperbole, which is beautiful to me.
I remember being about 5 years old in primary school and learning about & watching Voyager 1 reach Jupiter. It's incredible to think that thing has been flying through space my whole life.
A beautiful story, Ed Stone's life would make a great movie.
I remember when Voyager II reached Neptune and we watched it in science class in primary (grade) school. Different specific events, but a shared experience across a generation.
And when a Voyager crosses the heliopause in another ten or so years time, entering deep space, that'll be another new generation inspired by this incredible feat of humankind.
What wonderful writing this was. I have been really pleased with some of these more pop articles recently: the Dan Plan one and the Snider huffpost piece being two examples. Very pleasant to read between hacks.
We're where we are today because of pioneers of previous generations. My eyes always water a bit when I think about how much they would have wanted to see what we have now.
While the Sun's radiation extends up to 100au or so, its gravitational influence goes to over 100K au (2 light years). In this deep freezing wasteland we may find many more orbiting bodies than in the solar system proper.
Here's a tool to check out some of the raw imagery from Voyager (if you can figure out how to use it. . . the tool is meant for planetary scientists). Check out Jupiter/Saturn. The next dump should get have more stuff from Uranus/Neptune. http://pilot.wr.usgs.gov
It's easy to forget how little we knew about the Solar System prior to the wave of exploration in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. A great deal of unfounded but seemingly logical speculation was wiped away and replaced with solid observationally backed theory.
As heroic and remarkable an era of exploration as any. Indeed, perhaps all the more remarkable for its speed.
One of the things I find most fascinating about the mission are the RF systems -- the antenna on voyager is approx 40 watts yet the ground systems can read something on the order of kilobits per second -- and they are billions of miles away.
This is an interesting read too: http://books.google.com/books?id=yws55Rx1orEC&pg=PA28...