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Voyager 1: Our Time Capsule in Space
The third in a series debating the worth of space exploration
So if we can’t overcome climate change here on Earth or get to a new planet in time, is the human race doomed?
Perhaps.
What I do know is that taking money away from NASA and other space agencies won’t save us. Yes, they still cost a lot of money. But are these costs even measurable? What does money mean in the face of scientific knowledge? How can we put a dollar value on curiosity and inspiration?
I’d like to conclude this series of articles with the story of the spacecraft Voyager 1.
No spacecraft has gone farther than NASA’s Voyager 1. Launched in 1977 to fly by Jupiter and Saturn, Voyager 1 crossed into interstellar space (meaning it left our solar system) in August 2012. Heading toward the constellation Ophiuchus, Voyager 1 continues to provide humanity with observations of completely uncharted territory. No other object touched by a human hand has ever ventured this far from our home.
This explorer is never coming back.
