NASA reconnects with interstellar Voyager 1 spacecraft using technology not used in decades

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After a little region successful communications pinch Voyager 1, NASA re-established a connection pinch nan interstellar spacecraft located much than 15 cardinal miles distant from Earth, utilizing a wave not utilized much than forty years.

Communication betwixt NASA and Voyager 1 has been spotty astatine times. In fact, nan spacecraft stopped sending readable information to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory successful Southern California connected Nov. 14, 2023, and it was not until April that ngo controllers began receiving commands erstwhile again.

More recently, nan spacecraft turned disconnected 1 of its 2 transmitters aft what engineers suspected was owed to Voyager 1’s responsibility protection system, which autonomously responds to onboard issues.

For instance, if nan spacecraft uses excessively overmuch powerfulness from its proviso source, responsibility protection will footwear successful to conserve powerfulness by turning disconnected non-essential systems, NASA explained.

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Voyager 1 floats done blue-black abstraction toward a distant prima successful this illustration provided by NASA.

This illustration provided by NASA depicts  The astir distant spacecraft from Earth, Voyager 1, is seen successful this NASA illustration. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory successful Southern California announced this week that Voyager 1s 4 technological instruments are backmost successful business aft a method problem successful November. (NASA via AP, File)

The abstraction agency said nan formation squad sent a bid to activate 1 of nan spacecraft’s heaters connected Oct. 16. The bid takes astir 23 hours to recreation from Earth to nan spacecraft, and past different 23 hours for nan information to recreation back.

Engineers suspected Voyager 1 should person had plentifulness of powerfulness to run nan heather, though nan responsibility protection strategy was triggered.

On Oct. 18, nan squad learned astir nan issue, because nan Deep Space Network was incapable to observe Voyager 1’s signal. Communication betwixt NASA and nan spacecraft occurs connected nan X-band power transmitter, named for nan wave it uses.

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NASA Voyager 1

NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft is depicted successful this artist’s conception walking done interstellar space, aliases nan abstraction betwixt stars, which it entered successful 2012.  (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

The responsibility protection strategy lowered nan complaint nan transmitter was capable to nonstop information backmost to NASA, engineers determined, truthful changing nan X-band awesome nan Deep Space Network needed to perceive for.

Once nan awesome was located, Voyager 1 appeared to beryllium successful a unchangeable authorities and nan squad began investigating what happened.

But connected Oct. 19, connection betwixt nan squad and Voyager 1 stopped again, this clip entirely.

The squad believed Voyager 1’s responsibility protection strategy was triggered 2 much times and switched to a 2nd power transmitter called nan S-band, which uses little power.

NASA RE-ESTABLISHES COMMUNICATION WITH VOYAGER 1 INTERSTELLAR SPACECRAFT THAT WENT SILENT FOR MONTHS

NASA JPL building

The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory successful Pasadena, California. The JPL said it will fto spell of 530 workers this week.  (NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Voyager 1 had not utilized nan S-band to pass pinch Earth since 1981.

Engineers pinch nan Deep Space Network were yet capable to observe nan spacecraft’s communication from nan S-band. Rather than consequence turning nan X-band backmost connected earlier uncovering retired what caused nan responsibility protection strategy to trigger, nan squad sent a bid connected Oct. 22 to corroborate nan S-band transmitter was working.

Now, nan squad is moving to stitchery accusation to thief them find retired what happened truthful it tin return Voyager 1 backmost to normal operations.

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Voyager 1′s odyssey began successful 1977 erstwhile nan spacecraft and its twin, Voyager 2, were launched connected a circuit of nan state elephantine planets of nan star system.

After beaming backmost dazzling postcard views of Jupiter’s elephantine reddish spot and Saturn’s shimmering rings, Voyager 2 hopscotched to Uranus and Neptune. Meanwhile, Voyager 1 utilized Saturn arsenic a gravitational slingshot to powerfulness itself past Pluto.

Greg Wehner is simply a breaking news newsman for Fox News Digital.

Story tips and ideas tin beryllium sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and connected Twitter @GregWehner.

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