NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft has once again demonstrated its remarkable resilience, defying expectations with a recent glitch that required it to find an unconventional solution. After losing communication for several days, the probe successfully rebooted and restored normal operations by switching to an old, unused radio transmitter.
The 47-year-old spacecraft is now over 24 billion kilometers away from Earth, with signals taking up to 22.5 hours to reach or be transmitted back. A recent command sent by the ground team malfunctioned, triggering the spacecraft’s fault protection system and reducing data transmission rates. However, engineers were able to detect a faint signal using an older radio transmitter called the S-band, which had not been used since 1981.
The Voyager team’s ability to adapt and overcome is a testament to their exceptional engineering skills. Despite encountering issues in the past, including producing “gibberish” last year, the spacecraft continues to function remarkably well. The recent success marks another notable chapter in the ongoing saga of this extraordinary probe, leaving scientists and engineers in awe of its enduring spirit.
Source: https://www.iflscience.com/voyager-just-phoned-home-from-24-billion-kilometers-away-on-a-transmitter-not-used-since-1981-76601