System Analysts by Stick Insect

Puzzle explanation

The grid represents the solar system with dots for Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune in their orbits. The messages found by placing clue numbers 2, 7, 10 and 13 in the outer dotted cell were, respectively, “two space missions”, “leaving from earth”, “passing gas giants” and “flying to the stars”. The dots show the planets’ positions at launch or flypast by Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, with lines to be drawn showing the spacecraft’s flight paths, passing through cells that spelt VOYAGER 1 and VOYAGER 2. Both crossing and non-crossing paths were accepted, though the most historically accurate version would show them crossing just after leaving Earth, as Voyager 2 was launched before Voyager 1.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation
1 CABER CAPER with B for P
2 CIMAR RAM < after (C(anada) + I(ndia))
3 COMAL ((r)OA(d) + M(ummy’s) C(rossing) L(essons)) *; ref. Tufty Fluffytail
4 DOHYO DO + H(orse) + YO
5 GONYS (SOME YOUNGSTERS) * − (OUTER MESS) *
6 IGLOO I + G(uarantee) + LOO
7 OCHER CHE in OR
8 OLLAV O(stmen) L(ore) L(earned) A(bout) V(alhalla)
9 RABIC (A)RABIC
10 SAGUM MAGUS with M and S swapped
11 TELCO ((ad-h)OC LET(ter)) <
12 TUNAS TUN + AS
13 VAULT 2 meanings
14 VEGAS EG in VAS
15 VOLAR (y)AR(n) after VOL
16 VOUGE (OVE(r) GU(n)) *
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