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Voyager 1 at 40: Scientists 'amazed' 1970s space probe still works

The Voyager 1 and 2 space probes were launched 40 years ago and continue to send back data from the outer solar system and interstellar space, despite relying on technology developed in the 1970s.

Video produced by Trystan Young

Listen to The Newsroom on the World Service and find out more about the Voyager mission at BBC Future.

4 September 2017

Science & Environment

Space exploration

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American astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams posing for a portrait inside the vestibule between the forward port on the International Space Station

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Clouds and the eye of a hurricane captured from space

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A view of the northern lights above the earth from space

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A rocket launches with fire and plumes coming from its base

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Crew on board the ISS

Joyful welcome by stranded astronauts for SpaceX capsule crew

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Sarah Gillis emerges from a capsule into dark space

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Black and white picture of capsule being hanging below three parachutes

Starliner undocks from ISS and returns to Earth without crew

Bow of Titanic missing section of railing

Video shows Titanic missing large section of railing

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Cargo spacecraft with Earth in the background

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A woman, mimicking a weightlifter, pushes up a bar with two men on either end

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A bronze diplodocus statue at the Natural History Museum

Walking through time at the Natural History Museum

Column of fire after rocket sets off from launch pad

Moment Ariane-6 rocket blasts into space on first flight

Science & Environment

Lunar probe in a field, next to Chinese flag and with helicopter in bacground

Moment China's lunar probe lands back on Earth

Astronaut Suni Williams arrives at International Space Station

Astronauts in Boeing capsule arrive at space station

Boeing Starliner takes off

Moment of lift-off for Boeing Starliner's first crewed mission

A man walks in front of an uprooted tree, the roots of which tower over him

Fallen trees cause widespread damage after bomb cyclone

Two people died in the storm that hit the West coast of the US and Canada overnight.

Science & Environment

A yellow alert for high winds gusting up to 60 mph (97km/h) covers the whole of Scotland

Weather forecast ahead of Storm Ashley

A yellow alert for high winds gusting up to 60 mph (97km/h) covers the whole of Scotland.

Science & Environment

The Hunter's supermoon is seen shining brightly between two buildings, as the moon shines through London's skyline on 17 OCtober

Stargazers around the world catch supermoon

The brightness of the moon would allow ancient communities to increase hunting at this time of year - hence the name.

Science & Environment

SpaceX Starship booster caught in mid air

Watch astonishing moment Starship booster caught in mid-air 'chopsticks manoeuvre'

It’s the first time the "chopsticks manoeuvre" has been attempted, with previous boosters landing in the ocean.

Science & Environment

Split screen showing weather presenter giving remote update and Hurricane Milton satellite image

Meteorologist becomes emotional giving Hurricane Milton update

The weather system has rapidly intensified into a category five storm with winds of up to 175mph (281km/h).

Science & Environment

Suni Williams and Barry 'Butch' Wilmore grin as they float aboard the International Space Station

'Space is my happy place,' says stranded astronaut

Suni Williams and Barry 'Butch' Wilmore gave an update from the ISS on their extended stay in space.

Science & Environment

A video grab shows the northern lights (Aurora Borealis) flickering over the earth's surface with the moon setting in the background, and parts of the Internation Space Station (ISS) visible in the foreground. The Earth's curvature can be seen as it rotates

Watch: The Northern Lights seen from space

A timelapse captured from the International Space Station shows the Moon setting into streams of aurora.

Science & Environment

Pink and green Northern Lights hang in the sky above a car in a field

Timelapse shows Northern Lights glowing above Wisconsin

The footage reveals the light show that concurred with the Perseid meteor shower earlier this week.

Science & Environment

The Titan Arum plant took 12 years before it successfully flowered in the venue's Glasshouse in 2015.

Rare 'corpse flower' blooms in botanical gardens

The Titan Arum plant produces a stench that has been compared to decaying flesh or smelly socks.

Science & Environment

High winds and waves on coast

High winds and heavy rain as Caribbean hit by hurricane

Hurricane Beryl has made landfall with floods in Barbados, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada.

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Humpback whale's tail

Why scientists are using a crossbow to study whales

Researchers use the device to take remote biopsies from wild humpback whales to monitor their health.

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Female duck and chicks

Duckling family march to safety at Hardwick Hall

The annual duck march has been a tradition at Sedgefield’s Hardwick Hall Hotel for the past 24 years.

Science & Environment

Mountain lion in Los Angeles

Video captures new mountain lion spotted in Hollywood

While the giant cats are native to California, it is rare for them to make their way into the city of Los Angeles.

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Sea lion on row boat

Malnourished sea lion jumps into rowing boat

The animal stayed in the boat for over 15 minutes and was later taken to get medical care.

Science & Environment

Squid attacking camera

Rare footage shows deep-sea squid attacking camera

Watch video of the super-fast Dana squid getting a close-up 1km below the Pacific Ocean's surface.

Science & Environment

BBC Environment Correspondent Jonah Fisher asks Water Minister Robbie Moore

BBC asks if quality of water for bathing really is improving

BBC environment correspondent talks to water minister about bathing water quality

Science & Environment

Black hole

This is what it's like inside a black hole

A black hole is a region of space with such strong gravity not even light can escape.

Science & Environment

BBC News Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt talks to a marine biologist about our warming oceans

'If I were a barnacle I'd be worried'

BBC News Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt talks to a marine biologist about our warming oceans

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Family of foxes

Family of foxes enjoy garden playtime

Aldridge gardener captures fox and five kits on camera shortly after mowing his lawn.

Science & Environment

Rocket taking off

China launches rocket to far side of the Moon

The mission, billed a world first, aims to bring around two kilograms of lunar samples back to Earth.

Science & Environment