Voyager 1 pauses a science instrument to extend its interstellar mission
TL;DR Summary
NASA commanded April 17 to shut down Voyager 1’s Low-energy Charged Particles instrument to conserve power as it drifts deeper into interstellar space, mirroring a similar move on Voyager 2 last year. Engineers hope a bold “Big Bang” power-swap upgrade—first tested on Voyager 2 this spring and then on Voyager 1 in July—will keep the venerable probes producing data for about another year, helping mark Voyager 1’s 50th anniversary while two other instruments remain active.
- 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
- NASA Shuts Off Instrument on Voyager 1 to Keep Spacecraft Operating NASA Science (.gov)
- Another Instrument Shut Down on Voyager 1 to Extend its Interstellar Mission Universe Today
- (Almost) A Eulogy for Voyager Nautilus | Science
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