[D66] Strange Loop: Shut down the CCS of the Voyager Deep Space Probes!

René Oudeweg roudeweg at gmail.com
Mon Jul 3 18:10:21 CEST 2023


[The 4th Of July seems a good day to SHUT THE FCKING VOYAGER DEEP SPACE 
PROBES OFF! (hint) /RO]

https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status/

https://youtu.be/H62hZJVqs2o?t=963


"Uptime 15,364 days - The Computers of Voyager" by Aaron Cummings
Strange Loop Conference
73K abonnees
330.371 weergaven  14 sep 2019  ST. LOUIS
The Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 space probes, both launched in 1977, each 
had a primary objective to explore Jupiter and Saturn. This goal was 
achieved by 1981. Yet Voyager, NASA's longest running mission, has 
continued to this day. Both Voyager probes are still operating, and 
returning scientific data from outside our solar system.

This talk explores the computing systems of Voyager - the systems which 
enable remote control of the spacecraft, and provide for the recording 
and return of data to Earth. These systems have proved to be both 
adaptable, durable, and resilient in support of a scientific undertaking 
now in it's fifth decade.

What can we learn from the engineering of Voyager's computing systems? 
Why have they survived for so long in the harsh environment of space? 
What is involved in patching a system from a billion miles away? And 
what does the future hold?

Aaron Cummings
@btvaaron

Aaron Cummings is a software developer working in the semiconductor 
industry, currently leading a team working on tools for building and 
testing embedded memories. He has had a long term fascination with the 
space program, and has been interested in Voyager since seeing the 
pictures returned from Jupiter and Saturn in the 1980s.


Chapter listing

00:00 Background on Voyager
01:16 Talk outline
02:00 About the speaker
02:25 Origins of Voyager
03:18 Initial requirements
08:25 Revised program
10:05 The 3 R's
11:08 Probe design
12:55 Command Computer System
17:40 Attitude and Articulation Control System
20:04 Flight Data System
23:56 Voyager 0
24:35 Voyager 2 mission
29:07 Sustaining power
30:26 The golden record
31:20 Q&A


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