NASA has successfully restored communication with its farthest spacecraft, Voyager 1. The 47-year-old spacecraft, which is now 15.4 billion miles from Earth, had been silent for several months due to a power issue that caused its transmitter to shut down. The problem was resolved in early November, and the X-band transmitter has been successfully activated again.
Voyager 1’s communication issues were not unprecedented. In recent years, the spacecraft has experienced garbled telemetry and communications difficulties, including a period of problems in 2023 when its twin Voyager 2 also faced similar issues. However, despite these challenges, the Voyager probes have continued to operate, with their remaining instruments still sending back data.
The power issue that caused Voyager 1’s silence was due to a safety feature that monitored the spacecraft’s energy levels and automatically switched off non-essential systems to conserve power. This feature inadvertently shut down the main X-band transmitter, which uses more energy than the lower-power S-band transmitter. Since the Deep Space Network cannot hear signals on the S-band antenna at such great distances, this effectively silenced Voyager 1.
However, NASA engineers were able to resolve the problem by reactivating the X-band transmitter and adjusting its power usage. The spacecraft now resumes sending data from its four remaining instruments, providing valuable insights into the outer solar system and interstellar space.
The Voyager probes are considered elderly, having been launched in 1977 and traveling over 15 billion miles from Earth. Despite their age, they continue to send back data, showcasing their resilience. As the decaying plutonium in their power source continues to dwindle, their lifespan will be curtailed, but they have already achieved a remarkable feat by reaching their half-centuries.
Their story is just beginning, as they will now enter long orbits around the galaxy, continuing to explore and provide valuable scientific data. The discovery of Voyager 1’s reconnection marks an exciting chapter in its ongoing mission, offering new insights into interstellar space and the outer solar system.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/missions/voyager-1-interstellar-spacecraft-finds-its-voice-again-as-nasa-restores-communications