NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft has successfully reestablished communication with Earth after using a backup radio transmitter that hadn’t been used since 1981. The primary X-band radio transmitter shut down due to a fault protection system triggered by the spacecraft’s power supply, forcing it to switch to its secondary S-band transmitter.
The mission’s flight team had initially struggled to regain contact with Voyager 1 on October 18, when the spacecraft failed to respond to commands sent from NASA’s Deep Space Network. The issue was resolved after sending instructions to the S-band transmitter on October 22, resulting in a successful reconnection two days later.
The fault protection system is designed to conserve power by turning off non-essential systems when power supply overdraws occur. This switch prompted Voyager 1 to activate its backup radio transmitter, which hadn’t been used since 1981 due to its faint signal and increased distance from Earth.
Despite the success of reestablishing communication, NASA officials will investigate the underlying cause of the issue, which may take weeks to resolve. Voyager 1, launched in 1977, has faced increasing technical issues due to its age and distance from Earth, including a separate communications glitch earlier this year that caused the spacecraft to transmit gibberish.
The development highlights the challenges of maintaining spacecraft communication at vast distances, with signals traveling at speeds comparable to light and affected by various factors such as technology and gravity.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/missions/voyager-1-spacecraft-phones-home-with-transmitter-that-hasnt-been-used-since-1981