'A 15 bn-mile SOS': NASA’s daring rescue to keep Voyager alive in deep space

Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh

Contact Restored

NASA reconnected with Voyager 1 after an unexpected shutdown, restoring communication despite the spacecraft’s vast 15 billion-mile distance.

Fault Detection

Voyager 1’s fault protection system activated, automatically shutting off a transmitter to conserve power, sparking an investigation by NASA’s engineers.

Long-Distance Delay

Communicating with Voyager 1 takes nearly 23 hours each way, making every command response a two-day wait for the JPL team.

Heater Glitch

A simple command to turn on a heater unexpectedly triggered the fault system, highlighting Voyager 1’s aging and unpredictable components.

X-Band Mystery

Voyager’s main X-band transmitter shifted to a low-power mode, causing difficulties for the Deep Space Network in maintaining a stable signal.

Switch to S-Band

After the X-band issues, Voyager unexpectedly switched to its rarely used S-band transmitter, not activated since 1981, making detection challenging.

Signal Challenges

The faint S-band signal was a challenge for Earth-based equipment, yet engineers managed to track it, confirming Voyager’s ongoing functionality.

Aging Troubles

With 47 years in flight, Voyager faces growing technical issues, increasing the difficulty for NASA to keep it operational in deep space.

Mission Resilience

Despite unexpected challenges, NASA’s JPL team continues to troubleshoot and innovate, striving to sustain Voyager 1’s interstellar mission.