NASA brings Voyager-1 'back to life' as it sends first readable signal in 5 months from outside solar system
Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Voyager 1
After a hiatus since November, NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft has resumed transmitting operational data about its engineering systems, marking a significant milestone in its ongoing mission.
Background
Voyager 1 and its twin, Voyager 2, hold the distinction of being the only spacecraft to venture into interstellar space, the vast expanse between stars.
Source : NASA
Technical Glitch
Voyager 1 encountered an anomaly in November 2023, halting the transmission of readable science and engineering data to Earth. Despite this, the spacecraft remained responsive to commands.
Root Cause
In March, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory identified a malfunction in Voyager 1's flight data subsystem (FDS), attributed to a defective chip storing crucial software code.
Remedial Action
Unable to repair the faulty chip, engineers devised a strategy to relocate and reconfigure the affected code within the FDS memory, ensuring its functionality.
Implementation
On April 18, engineers successfully transferred and adjusted the portion of code responsible for packaging engineering data, enabling Voyager 1 to resume transmitting status updates.
Verification
Confirmation of the modification's success came on April 20 when mission controllers received telemetry indicating the spacecraft's operational health.
Ongoing Efforts
Engineers will continue relocating and adjusting other affected sections of the FDS software, including those responsible for returning scientific data, in the coming weeks.
Conclusion
Voyager 1's resumption of data transmission heralds a promising phase in its historic journey, underscoring the resilience and ingenuity of NASA's mission teams.