Any signal sent from Voyager 1 takes about 23 hours to reach Earth. On the other hand, it takes about 20 hours for a signal to arrive from Voyager 2. This simply means that scientists cannot control these spacecraft in real time. If a command has to be tested, it may take about 2 days to reach and then get a response.
2. The farthest man-made object
Voyager 1 is currently about 24.97 billion kilometers away from Earth and is the farthest man-made spacecraft to date. Voyager 2 is at a slightly lesser distance, about 22.7 billion kilometers. Both of them have crossed the boundaries of space and now they have entered interstellar space, where no human technology has ever reached before.
3. The journey continues for 45 years.
Launched in 1977, both these spacecraft have been traveling for more than 45 years. Even after such a long journey, they are sending data through NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN). This information helps scientists understand the conditions in the universe and between the stars.
4. Why is it impossible to install AI?
If an attempt is made to install Artificial Intelligence (AI) in these spacecraft, then the long time (latency) between sending the command and receiving the response is a big problem. Any AI system needs to take decisions immediately, but here a delay of about a day makes everything impossible.
5. Limited energy supply
Both Voyager spacecraft run on radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs). Their energy capacity is decreasing over time. More electricity is required to run the AI system, which is not available to these spacecraft at all. Because of this, it becomes technically impossible.
6. Old and weak hardware
Voyager’s computers are built on technology from the 1970s. They have only 69.63 kilobytes of memory and work on a very old programming system. Today’s AI technology needs gigabytes or terabytes of memory, so it is not possible to run AI on such hardware.
7. Lack of physical access
Unlike the satellites near Earth, it is impossible to send a mission to repair or upgrade Voyager. They are so far away that any human or robotic mission can take centuries to reach there. This means that it will never be possible to add new hardware or AI systems to these spacecraft.
8. Alternative to AI—Simulation on Earth
Scientists have found a solution to this. They can create AI-based systems on Earth to analyze the data coming from Voyager. In this way, AI can be used to understand and predict their data, instead of installing it directly on the spacecraft.
9. Lessons for the future
Voyager proved how important long-term machines are in space exploration. Now, future spacecraft are being designed to have AI capabilities built into them so that they can make their own decisions during deep space travel.
10. Conclusion – Voyager’s Legacy
It is impossible to install AI in Voyager 1 and 2, but their mission is still making the biggest contribution to the world of science. These spacecraft will continue to send data for decades to come and help us understand the mysteries of the universe. Their journey is a symbol of the fact that humanity always tries to go beyond its limits.
