CIRCLE WITH A DOT

Something supercharged Uranus with Radiation during Voyager Flyby 40 Years ago — Scientists now know what.️Scientists may have solved a long-standing mystery surrounding Uranus extraordinarily strong radiation belt.️A new analysis of Voyager 2 data suggests that a temporary space weather event may have made the planet's electron radiation belt more intense than usual as Voyager 2 was passing by. The findings could help to explain why the radiation belt was so much stronger than scientists had predicted it would be.https://doi.org/10.1029/2025gl119311#voyager #uranus #space #science #media #tech #news

@BLatro @Nick_Stevens_graphics @pomarede Much of the tech is quite a bit older than 50 years now. Voyager 1 and 2 were originally part of the Mariner programme and called Mariner 11 and 12 during build out from 1972 to 1977. The main computer control system (CCS) was identical to that used on the Viking orbiters launched in 1975. I believe the CCS on Voyager 2 holds the record for the longest running computer as it has been powered on continuously since August 1977. Epic.

NASA Shuts Off Instrument on Voyager 1 to Keep Spacecraft OperatingThe Low-energy Charged Particles experiment has been operating almost without interruption since Voyager 1 launched in 1977 - almost 49 years. https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/voyager/2026/04/17/nasa-shuts-off-instrument-on-voyager-1-to-keep-spacecraft-operating/#Voyager #science #news #space #spacecraft #astrodon