Voyager 1 Trims Instruments to Stretch Interstellar Mission
TL;DR Summary
NASA's Voyager 1 has shut down the Low-energy Charged Particles instrument to conserve dwindling power from its aging RTGs. The move is part of a broader “Big Bang” plan to power down nonessential systems and keep heaters on, allowing the mission to continue collecting data beyond the heliosphere. Voyager 2 has already shed similar instruments, and planners will test the approach in May–June with the goal of implementing it on Voyager 1 by July, potentially reactivating LECP if more power becomes available.
- NASA Shuts Down Another Piece of Voyager 1 to Extend Its Interstellar Mission ScienceAlert
- Voyager 1 shuts off instrument to buy time before ‘Big Bang’ fix to extend the mission CNN
- NASA shuts off another Voyager 1 instrument as humanity's most distant spacecraft prepares for risky 'Big Bang' maneuver to save power Live Science
- Voyager 1 Shuts Down Another Instrument Sky & Telescope
- (Almost) A Eulogy for Voyager Nautilus | Science
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