>The science being addressed is something we have no other way of observing
>in situ (remote observing missions are being planned) so it's still in
>practical use if you regard basic scientific research as "practical" (I do,
>but then, I would).
After seeing the mission status report on Vyger, I'd have to revise my
previous notion that I didn't accept it as an answer. Since it is still
sending data, and we are still receiving it, and it is still carrying out
its original mission (ie: it isn't doing it simply because it can't be
turned off, but rather is doing it because we WANT it to do it regardless
of our ability to shut it off).
I'd have to say that I now DO accept Vyger as an answer. So the question
is, when was it launched (1977) and is there something older in regular
use (I would think so).
But this also brought to my attention something I had previously not
know. That Voyager 1 and 2 were both launched at the same time. I had
always thought 2 was years after 1 (I thought 2 was late 70's, and 1 was
early 70's). I'm not sure why I thought that, maybe it was because it
took a different course and was more recently in the news sending back
data about the outer planets.
-chris
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Received on Mon May 12 2003 - 10:22:00 BST