‘It’s getting old’: NASA’s 47-year-old Voyager 1 is facing thruster issues in interstellar space
Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Voyager 1 Faces Thruster Issues
Voyager 1, the most distant human-made object traveling through interstellar space, encountered thruster problems, affecting its ability to stay oriented toward Earth for communication. Without a solution, the spacecraft risked drifting away permanently.
Maintaining Communication Amid Challenges
To maintain contact with Earth, NASA engineers had to switch to a backup thruster system, carefully balancing the spacecraft’s limited power and aging systems to avoid damaging it.
Aging Systems Create Operational Difficulties
Voyager 1’s systems have been deteriorating over time, particularly its thruster fuel lines, which have been clogging due to a byproduct of material degradation. This has led to challenges in keeping the spacecraft properly aligned for nearly two decades.
Shift to Trajectory Correction Thrusters
In 2002, Voyager 1’s engineers switched to a backup attitude control thruster system when the primary system clogged. By 2018, they had to shift to the trajectory correction thrusters, initially designed for adjusting the spacecraft’s path rather than orientation.
New Thruster Activation Despite Cold Risks
With the backup thrusters also clogging, NASA decided to reactivate one of the original attitude propulsion systems. However, the long dormancy and cold temperatures posed a risk to the spacecraft, as turning on the system could potentially cause damage.
Successful Thruster Reorientation
Engineers carefully warmed the thrusters by turning on a heater for just one hour. On August 27, they successfully reoriented Voyager 1 back toward Earth using the original thruster system, its first successful reorientation in six years.
Future Plans for Voyager 1
Despite these challenges, NASA intends to keep Voyager 1 operational until at least 2027, the 50th anniversary of its launch, continuing to gather valuable data about interstellar space and extending its mission as far as its remaining power allows.