NASA engineers at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have successfully revived a set of thrusters on board the Voyager 1 spacecraft, which had been considered inoperable since 2004. The move comes as a backup to active thrusters whose fuel tubes are experiencing a buildup of residue that could cause them to stop working as early as this fall.
The revival of the long-dormant thrusters required creativity and risk, but it ensures the spacecraft’s continued operation until May 4, 2025, when an Earth-bound antenna that sends commands to Voyager 1 will be offline for months of upgrades. The spacecraft, launched in 1977, relies on a primary set of thrusters to maintain its orientation and position in interstellar space.
Engineers suspected that a change in the circuits controlling the heaters’ power supply had caused the primary roll thrusters to stop working in 2004. However, by re-examining the issue and conducting puzzle-solving, they were able to reactivate the dormant thrusters, which will serve as a backup if the primary set becomes completely clogged.
The mission’s success was largely due to the team’s meticulous planning and execution, with the spacecraft successfully executing commands on March 20. The advance work paid off, and the thrusters are now ready for use when the antenna is back online in August.
Voyager 1 and its twin Voyager 2 continue to explore the outer reaches of our solar system, sending back data from interstellar space and paving the way for future scientific discoveries.
Source: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-voyager-1-revives-backup-thrusters-before-command-pause