Voyager 1 Due to technical issues, scientific observations are being carried out for the first time. Happened November 2023.
Voyager 1 launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on September 5, 1977, 16 days after its twin, Voyager 2. This artist's concept drawing depicts one of NASA's twin Voyager spacecraft. Image courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech.
Voyager 1 stopped transmitting readable science and engineering data to Earth on November 14, 2023, even though mission controllers were able to confirm that the spacecraft was still receiving commands and was otherwise operating normally.
In April 2024, they prompted Voyager 1 to begin transmitting engineering data containing information about the spacecraft's health and condition, partially resolving the problem.
On May 19, they carried out the second stage of the repair process and sent commands to the spacecraft to begin transmitting science data.
Two of the four scientific instruments immediately returned to normal operating mode.
The other two instruments required additional work, but all four are now returning usable science data.
The four instruments will study plasma waves, magnetic fields and particles.
This infographic highlights major milestones of NASA's Voyager missions, including visiting four outer planets and escaping the heliosphere, a protective bubble of magnetic fields and particles generated by the Sun. Image courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech.
The twin Voyager probes are NASA's longest-serving missions and the only spacecraft to have explored interstellar space.
Launched in 1977, both probes traveled to Jupiter and Saturn, with Voyager 1 traveling faster and reaching Jupiter and Saturn first.
Together, they have revealed a lot about the solar system's two largest planets and their moons.
Voyager 1 is more than 24 billion km (15 billion miles) from Earth, and Voyager 2 is more than 20 billion km (12 billion miles) from Earth.
The probe will celebrate its 47th anniversary of operation later this year.
“Voyager 1 and 2 are the only spacecraft to directly sample interstellar space, the region outside the heliosphere – the protective bubble of magnetic fields and solar wind created by the Sun,” NASA engineers said.
“Voyager 1 has resumed science, but additional minor operations are required to remove the effects of the problem.”
“Among other tasks, we will resynchronize the timing software in the spacecraft's three onboard computers to ensure commands are executed at the right time.”
“We will also be maintaining the digital tape recorder that records the plasma wave instrument data that is sent back to Earth twice a year.”
Source: www.sci.news
