Sadly, it seems that Pioneer 10 has finally run out of fuel and stopped sending signals back to Earth. It seems that's the next anyone will hear of it, since I doubt anyone will realize that it was blown apart by one lone Klingon Bird-of-Prey.
Just two months shy of thirty years, too... But at least the first man-made object to leave the solar system (that we know of, anyway) had a great run. Maybe someone nice will actually find it -- and wonder what the heck we were thinking with that silly plaque. Posted by Da_bang80 (Member # 528) on :
Hmm. I thought it was one of the Voyager probes that had the Plaque. hmm. well. "The Man" - 1, Da_bang80 - 0.
In Battlefield Earth, it was the Gold plaque that brought the Psychlo's to earth loking for more. Damn that was a good book. Damn the movie for killing it though.
Posted by Grokca (Member # 722) on :
Fun while it lasted.
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
Yes, both the Pioneer and Voyager probes had fancy gold plaques -- but Pioneer 10's is the most famous, and the one that's displayed in the ST Encyclopedia (for example). I'm pretty sure that they had a slightly different style of plaque for the Voyager probes, which were launched a few years later.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
It isn't the case that the power shut off, however. The signal is simply too weak now to be distinguished from background noise. A much larger reciever on Earth (or, more likely, in orbit somewhere nearby) would pick it up again, and, if I recall correctly, the probe has enough power to run for a few more decades, for certain values of "run."
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
The Pioneer plaques were just that - plaques. They showed what (caucasian) humans looked like, what the solar system looks like, where our star is in relation to its neighbors, and what planet the probe was launched from.
The Voyager DISK had all that stuff, PLUS a repository of images, music, and movies, and instructions on how to play it. Unlike the Pioneer plaque, the disk was made out of gold-plated copper.
Shouldn't be too hard to find descriptions of both online somewhere...
"They showed what (caucasian) humans looked like, what the solar system looks like, where our star is in relation to its neighbors, and what planet the probe was launched from."
Or: chapter one of the in-depth strategy guide on how to conquer the human race. Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
But, the white guy's hand is raised in peace! There's no way anyone would attack a planet where people pose like that! Naked, no less. It's like attacking Canada!
Mark
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
I last changed my sig only two days ago, but I've GOT to use that one now!
Also, looking at that plaque... I wonder if any aliens will get confused when they only find EIGHT planets in our solar system? Pluto's not really a planet, after all...
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
"Planet" being an arbitrary category, I doubt they'll care.
Posted by Harry (Member # 265) on :
And there's now the "tenth planet", Quaoar (or something).
Posted by Reverend (Member # 335) on :
quote: And there's now the "tenth planet", Quaoar (or something).
I think they should narrow the definition of planet somewhat, as it stands anything that orbits the sun and is of "significant" size is automatically a planet. Perhaps it should be more specific like "any object greater than 1000km in diameter", ,I think that'll include Pluto and leave Quaoar as an overgrown snowball.
Posted by Cartmaniac (Member # 256) on :
quote:Originally posted by Mark Nguyen: Naked, no less.
The aliens will probably have a good laugh at the dumb Earthlings who can't even make clothes... Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :
I prefer the 21st Century, post-puritan version. Points more to the gist of things, methinks.
Posted by The359 (Member # 37) on :
I wonder why they're hairless...
Posted by Cartmaniac (Member # 256) on :
Not adding to the confusion = Good Thing (I mean, if a HUMAN can get hopelessly lost down there, imagine how mind-bogglingly complicated it must be for an alien).
Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :
Yes, aliens would prefer sushi to carpet as well. The tongue gecks all numb otherwise an' gen you canck pillowkalk wurf of shik.
Has there been any new attempts at "First Contact"-packages/bundles? Will there be? Some sort of solar-driven video message, perchance?
Posted by Balaam Xumucane (Member # 419) on :
quote:Originally posted by Nim: Some sort of solar-driven video message, perchance?
Girls Gone Wild: Arcturus, perhaps?
Posted by Kosh (Member # 167) on :
They seem to have forgotten the "Insert plug A into Slot B".
Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :
And if provided items are incompatible, switch to manual override.
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
There have been no new attempts at such things simply because there are no new flyby missions planned for the immediate future. Everything that's been launched of late ends up on the surface of a planet or purposefully burning up in the atmosphere. The next flyby mission being planned is the Pluto Fast Flyby, and I'd assume it'd have something like that on it. The next "Grand Tour" planetary alignment (allowing flybys of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune in one sweep) like the one Voyager 2 was sent on won't happen again for another 150 years or so.
A while back, one of the Mars probes was to have a CD packed on it containing the names of everyone who signed up on a website. I think it was the Mars Polar Lander, which unfortunately did a pizza upon arrival.
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