Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!samsung!umich!umeecs!msi.umn.edu!cs.umn.edu!kksys!wd0gol!newave!john
From: john@newave.UUCP (John A. Weeks III)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: Nameplates on space probes
Message-ID: <506@newave.UUCP>
Date: 11 Nov 90 20:12:26 GMT
References: <112263@philabs.Philips.Com> <68212@bu.edu.bu.edu> <1990Nov9.014107.10312@nmt.edu>
Reply-To: john@newave.mn.org (John A. Weeks III)
Organization: NeWave Communications Ltd, Eden Prairie, MN
Lines: 28

In article <1990Nov9.014107.10312@nmt.edu> dbriggs@nrao.edu (Daniel Briggs):
> In article <68212@bu.edu.bu.edu> sultan@bu-ast.bu.edu (Peter Sultan):
> > There have been several `nameplates' on US space probes.

> C'mon, Peter, the moon is right next door!  We may well never see the
> Voyagers again

I would be surprised to see a Voyager in the Smithsonian in 50 years, but
100 years might not be unreasonable.  If us earthlings pooled our expertise
and money, as we might someday do, travel within the solar system will be
within reach.  A Voyager might be scientifically interesting from the
standpoint of examining a man-made object that was exposed to outer solar
system space for a long time.  Sort of like LDEF without any tomatoes.

> If the world gets its collective act together, that site may well be
> a *shrine*, a century from now.  It's not even completely outlandish
> that someone reading this message might one day read that plaque.

Put a dome over the thing and build the Smithsonain-Disney Moon Theme Park
around it!

-john-

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John A. Weeks III               (612) 942-6969               john@newave.mn.org
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