The Voyager Mission

I learned about @NASAVoyager when I was about 10, from old kids’ science magazines published around 1980, either 我们爱科学 or 少年科学画报. Those magazines were originally bought by my grandpa for my aunts when they were kids. I spent countless hours reading them and probably read each issue more than 50 times. I recently watched the BBC documentary The Farthest: Voyager’s Interstellar Journey, and all the excitement I felt in childhood came came back.

The mission starts with curiosity, is created through innovation, and is executed with precision. Throughout everything, there is collaboration, love, and hope. This mission is a demonstration of the very best of humankind.

I really wish I had been part of the team that created the Voyagers. The mission cost less than $5 billion in today’s dollars. If I were rich enough, I would fund another one. It would be a much better use of money than a private jet or a superyacht. The past few decades somehow feel less inspiring compared to the 1950s–1990s. It feels like people have become too absorbed in computers and digital worlds. I hope this is only a brief pause, and that with the help of AI, we will see more missions like Voyager again.

Let’s look up, toward the stars!