NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft has successfully returned to normal operation after a technical hiccup, marking another comeback for the nearly 50-year-old interplanetary explorer. The spacecraft, which is traveling over 15.4 billion miles from Earth, unexpectedly turned off its radio transmitter about a month ago, cutting off communication with NASA’s Deep Space Network.
The Voyager team has been working to troubleshoot issues with the spacecraft, which was launched in 1977 and completed its first tour of the solar system by 1989. The spacecraft has been sending back data from interstellar space since it exited the solar system years ago.
After a series of problems, including a shutdown of its X-band transmitter, Voyager 1’s S-band transmitter kicked in to restore communication with Earth. NASA said that the spacecraft had resumed regular operations and reactivated its X-band transmitter, collecting valuable data from its recent observations.
The process of troubleshooting Voyager 1 takes time, creative thinking, and patience, according to NASA Project Scientist Linda Spilker. It can take up to 24.5 hours to send code to the spacecraft and receive a response.
Despite the challenges, the team is committed to keeping Voyager 1 operational, as it continues to collect valuable data from interstellar space. The spacecraft’s journey has been worth it, with NASA saying that the twin explorers still offer new mysteries from beyond our solar system.
Source: https://www.foxweather.com/earth-space/nasa-voyager-1-spacecraft-technical-hiccup