Tag

Lecp

All articles tagged with #lecp

science1 month ago•7 min saved

NASA Extends Voyager 1’s Deep-Space Mission by Shutting Down a 49-Year-Old Sensor

To conserve dwindling power from its plutonium RTG, NASA turned off the Low-energy Charged Particles (LECP) instrument on Voyager 1 after 49 years, a decision that preserves essential systems and could buy roughly one more year of operation in interstellar space; a small portion of LECP will stay active, and engineers plan a broader, lower-energy 'Big Bang' power-saving approach to be tested on Voyager 2 in 2026 and possibly applied to Voyager 1 afterward.

via SciTechDaily|

#interstellar-space #jpl #lecp

science1 month ago•42 min saved

Voyager 1 May Get a Lifeline With Bold Power-Swap to Extend Interstellar Mission

Voyager 1 has shut down its Low-energy Charged Particles (LECP) instrument to conserve power as it travels farther into interstellar space. NASA plans a bold, one-shot power-swap—a “Big Bang” fix—by turning off some systems and switching to lower-power options, first on Voyager 2 and then on Voyager 1, to keep two remaining instruments alive for about a year and potentially extend the mission toward its 50th anniversary, with the hope LECP could be revived later if power allows.

via Yahoo|

#big-bang-fix #interstellar-space #lecp

science1 month ago•5 min saved

Voyager 1 Trims Instruments to Stretch Interstellar Mission

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.

via ScienceAlert|

#interstellar-space #lecp #nasa-jpl

space1 month ago•183 min saved

Voyager 1 pauses a science instrument to extend its interstellar mission

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.

via CNN|

#interstellar-space #lecp #nasa

space1 month ago•5 min saved

Power-Saving Move Extends Voyager 1’s Lifespan

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.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#interstellar-space #jpl #lecp

space1 month ago•63 min saved

Voyager 1 pivots to power-saving mode as NASA tests a risky 'Big Bang' to extend life

NASA has shut down Voyager 1's Low-Energy Charged Particle instrument to conserve dwindling power; only two of its 10 instruments remain powered, while three are active on Voyager 2. A planned 'Big Bang' maneuver would swap several powered devices for lower‑power equivalents to keep the craft warm and continue collecting data. The Big Bang for Voyager 2 is planned for May–June, with a possible July attempt for Voyager 1, a move that could extend the mission by about a year though data return will be limited.

via Live Science|

#lecp #nasa #power-conservation

space1 month ago•72 min saved

NASA downshifts Voyager 1 instrument to stretch its interstellar voyage

NASA engineers shut down the Low-energy Charged Particles (LECP) instrument on Voyager 1 on April 17 to conserve dwindling nuclear power, allowing the spacecraft to continue studying the interstellar medium beyond the solar system. Voyager 2’s LECP was silenced earlier in 2025, and only a handful of instruments remain active on both Voyagers. Voyager 1 is currently more than 15 billion miles (about 24 billion kilometers) from Earth, making it the farthest human-made object, and the instrument shutdown is part of a planned retirement sequence to maximize science as the power supply declines.

via Space|

#heliopause #interstellar-space #lecp

science1 month ago•35 min saved

NASA Sacrifices Voyager 1 Instrument to Keep Interstellar Mission Alive

Facing a dwindling nuclear power source, NASA shut down Voyager 1’s Low-energy Charged Particles (LECP) instrument to conserve energy and prevent an automatic shutdown, as its power declines by about four watts per year. Only two instruments remain online—plasma waves and magnetic fields—with a bold plan dubbed the Big Bang to swap in lower‑power components on Voyager 2 first, then Voyager 1, in hopes of keeping the mission alive for at least another year while continuing exploration of interstellar space.

via Yahoo|

#interstellar-space #lecp #nasa

science1 month ago•7 min saved

Voyager 1 Trims Its Payload to Push Deeper into Interstellar Space

NASA has shut down Voyager 1’s Low-energy Charged Particles instrument to conserve dwindling power as the probe—about 15 billion miles from Earth—continues its interstellar voyage; seven of its ten instrument sets have been turned off so far, with Voyager 2’s LECP already disabled, and the team plans further shutdowns along with a 'Big Bang' power swap to keep data flowing from beyond the heliosphere.

via BBC Sky at Night Magazine|

#interstellar-space #lecp #nasajpl

science1 month ago•33 min saved

Voyager 1’s power squeeze prompts bold plan to keep exploring

NASA says Voyager 1 — launched in 1977 and the most distant human-made object — is losing about 4 watts of power each year from its plutonium-powered generator. After a dip in energy forced the shutdown of the Low-energy Charged Particles instrument, engineers are pursuing a “far-out plan” to extend the probe’s life as it continues to study interstellar space beyond the heliosphere.

via Yahoo|

#interstellar-space #lecp #nasa

space1 month ago•1 min saved

Power-saving move extends Voyager 1s interstellar journey

NASA shut down the Low-energy Charged Particles instrument on Voyager 1 to conserve dwindling power, as part of a planned sequence that has already retired seven of ten instrument sets; the move aims to preserve the spacecrafts core systems so it can continue its interstellar voyage, following Voyager 2s LECP shutdown in March 2025.

via NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) (.gov)|

#interstellar-space #lecp #nasa-jpl