I just think these subjects are so interesting and so important yet they hardly get a mention in the media.
Yes I agree Longdogs, news items should more more focused on natures activities, technology and man’s exploration of space and the deep oceans. News tends to revolve around the negative things that happen in this world, and there’s not much we can do nothing about it. Except feel depressed for the rest of the day…
Not at all Surfermom, and I must thank you for taking the time to write and post your excellent and interesting reply.
You do realise that I’ve been a bit mischievous with this thread. Truth is, I am really interested in all things science and discovery, but sometimes the mind is stretched to its limits (in the same way that voyager is) and it gets hard to comprehend what conditions must be like in the far reaches of space.
So my next question is to do with navigation.
With voyager moving away from any known reference points (The Sun and the rest of the planets) how does it keep on course? It is a well known fact that there are many things in space that can influence the ability of a small man made craft to keep traveling in a straight line. Black holes and Dark matter that is invisible to us, and the stuff that holds it all together…How do we know its there if we can’t see it in the first place? When compared to the universe, the human body is vastly under equipped when trying to identify things that the mind can not even contemplate…
Nasa has lost contact with its Voyager 2 probe billions of miles away from Earth after sending it the wrong command, the space agency has revealed.
Last month, the spacecraft - exploring space since 1977 - tilted its antenna to point two degrees away from Earth after the mistake was made. As a result, the probe has stopped receiving commands or sending data. Nasa said it hopes communication will resume when the probe is due to reset in October.
Voyager 2 is more than 12.3 billion miles (19.9 billion km) from Earth, where it is hurtling at an estimated 34,390mph (55,346km/h) through interstellar space - the space between the stars.
Since 21 July, the pioneering probe has been unable to receive commands or send back data to Nasa’s Deep Space Network - an array of giant radio antennae across the world - and the spacecraft is not receiving commands from ground controllers.
However, there is hope for the probe, nearly 46 years into its mission. The space agency said on Monday its huge dish in Australia’s capital, Canberra, was trying to detect any stray signals from Voyager 2. It takes more than 18 hours for a signal to reach Earth from so far away. The antenna will also bombard Voyager 2’s area with the correct command, in the hope it makes contact with the probe, said Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which manages the Voyager missions.
Otherwise, Voyager 2 is programmed to reset its orientation multiple times each year to keep its antenna pointing at Earth. The next reset is due on 15 October, which Nasa says “should enable communication to resume”.
In the meantime, Nasa expects the spacecraft laden with science instruments to remain on its planned trajectory through the universe.
I wouldn’t want Voyager 2 to be alone in space, doing it’s job but cut off from contact with Earth, so my fingers are crossed … 
There is always at least one numpty in every organisation and NASA is obviously no exception. I feel dreadfully for that poor person as they must be beside themselves with shame.
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Now they’re waiting for a reset to catch Voyager 2’s next message when it “phones home”
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That’s the same story as my link … 
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0oops! 
thanks for all the great explanations guys and gals - I could follow them all well [nolt easily understand in some instancs though - but that’s the students side not the teachers - I think between yuz all yuz done a good job! - keep it goin of course! - this is history in the making - ya doing better than the newspapers can and most of forums I’ve read too!
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Voyager 2: Nasa picks up ‘heartbeat’ signal
Nasa has picked up a “heartbeat” signal from its Voyager 2 probe after it lost contact with it billions of miles away from Earth, the space agency said. The signal from Voyager 2 was picked up during a regular scan of the sky.
Where there’s “life” there’s hope … 
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That IS good news and now we hope NASA can regain controls over it’s roaming👍
I wonder whether they sacked him?
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According to the radio this morning the reset isn’t until October.
I’m glad they’ve found a heartbeat - can’t find my own atm??
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Who writes all this stuff from NASA, Michael Crichton?
There are more holes in these stories than the Beatles found in Blackburn Lancashire…
So you’re telling me that a lump of plutonium has been supplying the Voyager with enough power to send data back to earth and operate some remote control apparatus from the outer reaches of space?
Why is it then, if this technology is available, that we are flooding the world with wind turbines and solar panels and relying on Lithium to keep it all working.
What’s up? Is NASA running out of investors so they thought they would remind people just what ‘good’ work they are doing to boost the coffers.
Isn’t the war in Ukraine exciting enough to fill the news papers now, so they are moving to plan ‘B’ Alien invasions, space exploration, and climate change.
It’s doubtful whether they actually got to the moon - strange that the Americans or Russians never decided to build some kind of military establishment up there, sort of the ultimate world domination project.
Anyway, if you believe that we are receiving signals from a man made object trillions of miles away (hell! Mrs Fox can’t even get good reception on her mobile phone here) that most of the young spotty faced anoraks working for NASA now, have never even seen in the flesh, I’ve got some nice cars (low mileage) I think you might be interested in…And you call me a ‘Conspiracy Theorist’!
Can I assume from some of these ridiculous statements that education was just something that passed you by?
Oh come on! The power supply was less than 500watts at launch - it wouldn’t even run your kettle. It lost about 4 watts capacity each year and is down to about 200 watts now
There is a reason why it requires a gigantic dish on Earth to receive the faint radio signals from the craft.
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That distant Voyager 2 sends back a signal once every 24 hours at about 10.00pm GMT, the message says “Goodnight All” 
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Well reality passed some of us by Graham…
