What are the key takeaways from this Everything Everywhere Daily episode?

Key insights include: **RTG Power Decay:** Each Voyager probe launched with 470 watts from three plutonium-238 RTGs but now generates only ~250 watts, losing roughly 4 watts annually. NASA responds by systematically shutting down non-essential heaters and instruments to preserve communication and core science systems.; **Signal Survival at Extreme Distance:** Voyager 1 transmits at 20 watts from 168 astronomical units away, arriving at Earth as less than one attowatt. NASA's Deep Space Network uses three 70-meter dish stations in California, Spain, and Australia to detect and decode this signal continuously.; **Data Rate Collapse:** Proximity to Jupiter in 1979 allowed data transmission above 100 kilobits per second. Today Voyager 1 sends only 160 bits per second — slower than 1960s modem speeds — requiring highly compressed, error-corrected data packets to extract usable science.

How long is this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily?

This episode is 15 minutes long. SignalCast provides an AI-generated summary so you can get the key insights in about 3 minutes.

Everything Everywhere Daily

The Never-Ending Voyager Missions (Encore)

September 20, 2026

15 min episode · 2 min read

Episode

15 min

Read time

2 min

Topics

Science & Discovery

AI-Generated Summary

Published Sep 20, 2026

Key Takeaways

✓RTG Power Decay: Each Voyager probe launched with 470 watts from three plutonium-238 RTGs but now generates only ~250 watts, losing roughly 4 watts annually. NASA responds by systematically shutting down non-essential heaters and instruments to preserve communication and core science systems.
✓Signal Survival at Extreme Distance: Voyager 1 transmits at 20 watts from 168 astronomical units away, arriving at Earth as less than one attowatt. NASA's Deep Space Network uses three 70-meter dish stations in California, Spain, and Australia to detect and decode this signal continuously.
✓Data Rate Collapse: Proximity to Jupiter in 1979 allowed data transmission above 100 kilobits per second. Today Voyager 1 sends only 160 bits per second — slower than 1960s modem speeds — requiring highly compressed, error-corrected data packets to extract usable science.
✓Interstellar Medium Findings: After crossing the heliosphere boundary in 2012, Voyager instruments detected interstellar plasma nearly 40 times denser than inside the boundary, confirmed elevated cosmic ray intensity, and recorded plasma oscillation hums — data directly informing radiation models for future deep-space human missions.

What It Covers

Launched in 1977, NASA's Voyager 1 and 2 probes continue transmitting data from interstellar space nearly 50 years later, powered by plutonium RTGs and tracked by a global antenna network, reshaping understanding of the heliosphere's boundaries.

Key Questions Answered

•RTG Power Decay: Each Voyager probe launched with 470 watts from three plutonium-238 RTGs but now generates only ~250 watts, losing roughly 4 watts annually. NASA responds by systematically shutting down non-essential heaters and instruments to preserve communication and core science systems.
•Signal Survival at Extreme Distance: Voyager 1 transmits at 20 watts from 168 astronomical units away, arriving at Earth as less than one attowatt. NASA's Deep Space Network uses three 70-meter dish stations in California, Spain, and Australia to detect and decode this signal continuously.
•Data Rate Collapse: Proximity to Jupiter in 1979 allowed data transmission above 100 kilobits per second. Today Voyager 1 sends only 160 bits per second — slower than 1960s modem speeds — requiring highly compressed, error-corrected data packets to extract usable science.
•Interstellar Medium Findings: After crossing the heliosphere boundary in 2012, Voyager instruments detected interstellar plasma nearly 40 times denser than inside the boundary, confirmed elevated cosmic ray intensity, and recorded plasma oscillation hums — data directly informing radiation models for future deep-space human missions.

Notable Moment

To switch Voyager 1's backup thrusters — unused since 1980 — NASA recruited retired engineers from decades prior to hand-rewrite assembly code, successfully firing the thrusters after a 37-year dormancy.

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Episode Transcript

The following is an encore presentation of Everything Everywhere Daily. In 1977, NASA took advantage of a once in a lifetime alignment of the planets to send two probes to the outermost reaches of the solar system. They sent back the best images and data available at that time about Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The program was a smashing success. However, the probes never stopped traveling. They kept going and going all the while maintaining contact with Earth. They ended up teaching us far more about the solar system than we ever expected. Learn more about the never ending Voyager program and how spacecraft a half century old are still performing valuable science on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. This episode is sponsored by Babbel. I personally visited over 200 countries and territories around the world. And if there's anyone who understands the benefits of knowing a few basic words and phrases when traveling, it's me. I've always tried to learn at least a few basic phrases wherever I visited, but it's always been a challenge without someone to teach me. And that is where Babbel comes in. Babbel can get you started in the basics of a foreign language in just ten minutes a day, and it can help you start having real conversations in as little as three weeks. Babbel is built for real life. They start with phrases you'd use ordering dinner, asking for directions, or talking with locals. That's why I've been using Babbel to brush up on my French. Babbel's award winning app has sold over 25,000,000 subscriptions and is backed by a fourteen day money back guarantee. If you've got summer travel coming up, now is the time to start so you can actually use what you learn on the trip. Right now, Babbel is offering listeners up to 60% off. Go to babbel.com/daily. That's Babbel, babbel.com/daily for 60% off. Rules and restrictions may apply. This episode is sponsored by Square. About twenty five years ago, I had a business that did point of sale transactions. We had to get a cash register, a separate system for credit card transactions, and it was all a real pain. Today, starting a business that accepts payments is much easier largely thanks to Square. You've probably seen Square terminals many times even if you didn't know it. Square brings payments, point of sale, inventory, staffing, and online sales together in one place. Easy to use tools help simplify the day to day running of a business. And not only does Square make your business easier to run, but sellers who use Square software see 9% higher sales on average. If you're starting a business or running one that deserves better tools, Square helps you sell, manage, and grow without slowing down. Right now you can get up to $200 off Square hardware @square.comslashgo-daily. That's square.com/go/daily. Run your business smarter with Square. Get started today. The Voyager one and two missions have been mentioned in several …

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