![Voyager I [33K]](img/voyager.jpg)
It starts like this -
"If he had brought us forth from Egypt, and had not executed judgement
upon the Egyptians, it would have sufficed...
If he had executed judgement upon them, and had not executed judgement
upon their gods, it would have sufficed..."
and goes on, through the Jew's journey through Sinai, recieving the Laws of the Bible, into the Land of Israel and finally to the building of the Temple.
What has this got to do with the Voyager probes?
Well, I think the oddessys that Voyagers I and II went through can also
be celebrated in a poem which starts with their launch and follows their
discoveries, on by one.
"If
they had both been launched flawlessly, and not
reached Jupiter, it would have sufficed...
If they had reached Jupiter, and not researched
the clouds of Jupiter, it would have sufficed...
If they had researched the clouds of Jupiter, and
not discovered volcanoes on Io, it would have sufficed...
If they had discovered volcanoes on Io, and not discovered
Jupiter's ring, it would have sufficed...
If they had discovered Jupiter's ring, and not
gone on to Saturn, it would have sufficed...
If they had gone on to Saturn, and not explored
the rings, it would have sufficed...
If they had explored the rings, and had been able
to continue beyond their origional plans, it would have sufficed...
If they had been able to continue beyond their origional
plans, and had not been able to be adjusted to the lack of light, it
would have sufficed...
If they had been able to be adjusted to the lack
of light, and not explored Uranus, it would have sufficed...
If they had explored Uranus, and had not explored
Neptune, it would have sufficed...
If they had explored Neptune and had not imaged
the entire Solar System, it would have sufficed...
If they had imaged the entire Solar System, and
had not continued to the Heliopause, it would have sufficed...
If they had continued to the Heliopause, and had
not fufilled their mission, it would have sufficed...
If they had fufilled their mission, and did
not contain a message, it would have sufficed...
If they had contained a message, and their message
did not reach out to the stars, it would have sufficed..."
if their message reached the stars...
copyright (c) Robert Barron 03.10.1997
The poetry isn't that good. (sorry).
(I don't know why I've bothered with the silly copyright thingy)
I like to think that in millenia to come, when Voyager/Pioneer reaches an outpost of some sentient species the message of peace which it carries will make it an ambassador between the of humanity of the 20th century and whatever we become in years to come when we reach the stars themselves.
I would like to improve the poem, please send me suggestions to improve the various verses. (new ones, fixing existing ones, even a source to learn from ).
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