Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
NASA’s Voyager 1 is back to normal after a temporary communication breakdown, reactivating its primary X-band radio transmitter and resuming its interstellar data collection.
A spacecraft fault protection system had mistakenly switched off the X-band transmitter, causing Voyager 1 to rely on a weaker signal, cutting off Earth-bound communication.
Engineers reactivated the X-band transmitter and restored data flow from Voyager 1’s four active instruments, demonstrating resilience in handling unforeseen interstellar challenges.
Voyager 1’s energy comes from decaying plutonium in its RTGs, but dwindling power—losing about 4 watts per year—has required turning off nonessential systems to stay operational.
Despite suboptimal temperatures from heater shutdowns, the spacecraft’s instruments have continued to function, defying expectations and extending Voyager’s scientific contributions.
With power levels now measured in fractions of a watt, managing Voyager 1’s energy involves precise calculations and adjustments to keep its instruments operational.
Of the original 10 science instruments, four remain active, studying particles, plasma, and magnetic fields in interstellar space, an area no other spacecraft has explored.
Voyager’s age—47 years since launch—brings increasing technical hurdles, testing the ingenuity and expertise of NASA’s mission team to maintain its functionality.
As the only spacecraft in interstellar space, Voyagers 1 and 2 continue to inspire, pushing the boundaries of human achievement and scientific exploration.