Engineers Attempt to Fix Communication Issue with Voyager 1 Probe
In a bid to address a communication problem that has persisted for five months, engineers have sent a “poke” signal to the Voyager 1 probe. The spacecraft, along with its twin Voyager 2, is currently navigating uncharted cosmic territory in the outer reaches of the solar system.
Voyager 1, the farthest spacecraft from Earth at a distance of about 15 billion miles, and Voyager 2, which has traveled more than 12.6 billion miles, were launched in 1977 and are the longest-operating spacecraft in history.
In November 2023, Voyager 1 encountered a communication issue, halting the transmission of science and engineering data back to Earth. In a recent development, the mission team sent a command known as a “poke” to the spacecraft on March 1 in an effort to restart its computer system and identify the underlying problem.
A signal received from Voyager 1 indicates progress in resolving the communication glitch, although challenges have arisen as the probes age. Dropouts and unexpected issues have been a recurring aspect of the mission over the years.
Due to the vast distance from Earth, the team must wait 45 hours to hear back from Voyager 1. In the meantime, engineers are analyzing the spacecraft’s memory readout to devise a potential solution to the problem. To conserve power and extend the missions, both spacecraft have been slowly shutting off instruments.
As efforts continue to rectify the communication problem, the team remains hopeful for a successful outcome in their ongoing mission to explore the far reaches of the solar system.
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