Power-Saving Move Extends Voyager 1’s Lifespan
TL;DR
NASA has shut down the Low-energy Charged Particles (LECP) instrument on Voyager 1 to conserve power and extend the mission, keeping two other instruments active as the spacecraft—more than 15 billion miles from Earth—drifts through deep space; a 0.5-watt motor on LECP remains running to keep the door open for possible reactivation, while the RTG’s power slowly declines by about 4 watts per year.
- NASA Turns Off Key Instrument on Voyager 1 to Extend Spacecraft’s Mission The Daily Galaxy
- 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 down Voyager 1 instrument to keep probe exploring interstellar space Space
- NASA Shuts Off Instrument on Voyager 1 to Keep Spacecraft Operating NASA Science (.gov)
- NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft loses another instrument to save power Scientific American
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