Voyager 1 Trims Instrument Power as NASA Tests Bold Energy-Saving Plan

NASA shut down Voyager 1’s Low-Energy Charged Particles instrument to conserve dwindling power as it sails through interstellar space about 15 billion miles from Earth, and is pursuing a broader energy-saving fix nicknamed 'Big Bang' to swap in lower-power systems, hoping to buy roughly a year of additional operation while seven of the original ten instruments have been turned off (Voyager 2’s LECP was shut down in 2025). The shutdown sequence takes hours and is driven by distance-related command delays, with one small motor kept active to allow possible future restart.