Voyager probe 'leaves Solar System'

[PeteC]

The Voyager-1 spacecraft has become the first man made object to leave the Solar System.

Scientists say the probe's instruments indicate it has moved beyond the bubble of hot gas from our Sun and is now moving in the space between the stars.

Launched in 1977, Voyager was sent initially to study the outer planets, but then just kept on going.

Today, the veteran Nasa mission is almost 19 billion km (12 billion miles) from home........

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24026153

[STEVE G]

It's incredible and a tribute to the designers and builders of the two Voyager probes, how they just keep on going. I can still remember watching a TV articles about them when they were launched, particularly the engraved plaques they carry as a message to any beings that might find them!

[Stargeezer]

Now in Interstellar space, headed for somewhere in the Oort cloud. Maybe in another 1000 years we will have enough technology to construct a space ship or travelling space station that can travel through our solar system and out into another part of our Milkyway Galaxy. I guess it depends on our more nearby ambitions to go back to the moon and build a colony, or another rusty colony on Mars first before venturing further..
Even a thousand years may not be enough time for us to head out into space in a serious fashion.

[caller]

That's interesting SG, not that I'm an expert on these matters, but the way technology has been improved in such a short period of time, and continues to advance at an ever increasing speed, my guess would be that the human body would be the weakness in any such future project?

[pharvey]

That's interesting SG, not that I'm an expert on these matters, but the way technology has been improved in such a short period of time, and continues to advance at an ever increasing speed, my guess would be that the human body would be the weakness in any such future project?

Have to agree here - huge fan of space (and deep sea) exploration, but ultimately the weakness is going to be the human body.

[Terry]

Rocket lover then?