NASA has announced plans for two probes that will travel further than any man-made objects in history.<\/p>\n
The unnamed spacecraft will reach a staggering 92billion miles from our planet following their launches, set for 2030.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Thats seven times further than the record set by Nasas Voyager 1 and 2 probes, currently the furthest machines from Earth.<\/p>\n
Both launched in 1977 and now sit just beyond the edge of the Solar System, or about 13billion miles away.<\/p>\n
Proposals for an unnamed pair of probes were unveiled by Nasa last week at a space conference in Washington D.C.<\/p>\n
This is humanitys first explicit step into interstellar space, said Dr Pontus Brandt, a physicist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
AP:Associated Press<\/p>\n
Put forward by Dr Leon Alkalai, who works at Nasas Jet Propulsion laboratory in California, the two probes would weigh 800 kilos.<\/p>\n
Thats a little more than your average dairy cow, allowing the vessels to sail for great distances on little fuel.<\/p>\n
To help them along on their journey, the probes would gather momentum by performing close passes of huge space objects.<\/p>\n
These flybys would take advantage of the gravity of the Sun or Jupiter to slingshot the probes at speeds well over 100,000 mph.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Nasa<\/p>\n
Scientists hope to use the missions to study a the mysterious outer regions of the Solar System and beyond.<\/p>\n
Theyre keen to find out more about how space radiation enters our star system, and how solar radiation leaves.<\/p>\n
Experts will submit the project for consideration by Nasa at the end of 2021.<\/p>\n
Its not clear whether or not the space agency will choose to fund the mission.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Nasa<\/p>\n
If selected by Nasa, the probes could fly as early as 2030, researchers said.<\/p>\n
Its time we have a vision we can actually execute, Dr Ralph McNutt, a physicist at the Applied Physics Laboratory.<\/p>\n
Up to now, people havent thought about this as an engineering problem. They kick the can down the road, saying: Well, we just need a little bit more new technology.<\/p>\n
The plans were unveiled last week at the 2019 International Astronomical Congress.<\/p>\n
The news comes almost a year after Voyager 2 became only the second man-made object ever to enter interstellar space.<\/p>\n
Going where no machine has gone before...<\/p>\n
Juno<\/p>\n
New Horizons<\/p>\n
Voyager 1<\/p>\n
Voyager 2<\/p>\n
According to Nasa, mission scientists were able to determine that the probe crossed the outer edge of the heliosphere on November 5, 2018.<\/p>\n
This boundary is called the heliopause where hot solar winds meet the cold and dense intestellar medium.<\/p>\n
Twin probe Voyager 1 crossed this boundary back in 2012.<\/p>\n
But Voyager 2 is arguably more exciting, because it carries a working instrument that can provide brand new observations.<\/p>\n
Specifically, it will measure the density and temperature of interstellar plasma, giving us new insight into a world beyond our solar system.<\/p>\n
In other news, Nasa recently uncovered18 Earth-sized planetslurking outside our Solar System and one offers hope for life.<\/p>\n
Watery Super Earths may hide unfathomably deep bottomless oceans withalien life lurking inside.<\/p>\n
And, analien grain of dustfired at Earth by ancient exploding starhas been found buried in Antarctica.<\/p>\n
What do you think Nasa will find in deep space? Let us know in the comments<\/p>\n
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at tech@the-sun.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n More here:<\/p>\n Nasa reveals plans for probes that will travel 92BILLION miles from Earth 7 times further than ever before - The Irish Sun<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" NASA has announced plans for two probes that will travel further than any man-made objects in history. The unnamed spacecraft will reach a staggering 92billion miles from our planet following their launches, set for 2030. Continue reading