Voyager 1 Gets a Lifeline: NASA Tests Power-Saving Swap on Dying Probe
TL;DR
NASA is testing a ‘Big Bang’ style power-swap on Voyager 1 to extend its life by turning off several aging loads and swapping in lower-power components, following a successful upgrade on Voyager 2. Voyager 1 now has only two instruments left (magnetometer and plasma wave) and sits farther away than Voyager 2, about 25 billion km vs. 21 billion km. If the thermal test is successful, the change could free enough power to potentially re-enable the Low-energy Charged Particles instrument; however, the plan remains cautious since commands take roughly a day to reach Earth and back.
- Voyager 1 is down to two working science instruments, and the fix that just bought its twin, Voyager 2, another year of power is now being tested on a probe NASA says no longer behaves quite like its sibling Space Daily
- ‘Big Bang’ fix boosts Voyager 2’s mission in interstellar space CNN
- NASA figured out how to keep its 48-year-old Voyager 2 probe running for yet another year Space
- NASA Engineers Help Prolong Voyager 2’s Science Mission NASA Science (.gov)
- NASA Pulls Off Smart Move To Prolong Lifespan Of Aging Voyager 2 As It Flies 21.37 Billion Kilometers From Earth IFLScience
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