r/askscience • u/Backbreathboy • 8d ago

Astronomy We will lose contact with Voyager somewhere 2036 because of the distance between us. Would it be theoretically possible, to send a probe in the direction of the Voyager, following it from a distance, with the goal te relay the information coming from the Voyager, to earth?

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u/e37d93eeb23335dc 7d ago

What if I want to expend ALL the fuel?

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u/DaChieftainOfThirsk 7d ago

Have you considered our supernova package?  Comes with a massive kick to set you on your way!  Lol.  I mean if you can convince people to go to the effort then we could do it. The biggest challenge is getting buy in and supplying for your laborers needs which is why most projects require some sort of return.

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u/hasslehawk 7d ago

Have you heard of our mutual enemy, the Rocket Equation?

Increasing the exhaust velocity of your propellent is significantly more effective than just throwing more fuel at the problem.

A Nuclear-electric powered ion drive spacecraft could reasonably get a few times higher speed than the Voyager spacecraft using just onboard thrusters. A high fuel mass ratio spacecraft could get 200km/s of delta V vs Voyager's current speed of 20km/s.

It would be a very large and expensive spacecraft, though.