Voyager 1, a NASA spacecraft launched in 1977, is back in operation after experiencing a technical issue that caused it to send back nonsensical data since November 2023. The probe is currently 15 billion miles away from Earth.
Despite being designed for a five-year mission, Voyager 1 has defied expectations and continues to explore deep space. Engineers were able to diagnose the problem remotely and implement a fix by rerouting code within the spacecraft's flight data subsystem. This is an impressive feat considering the probe's distance and the limited memory of its onboard computers.
The fix should allow Voyager 1 to resume sending scientific data back to Earth, providing valuable insights into the interstellar medium. The spacecraft's longevity is a testament to the ingenuity of the engineers who designed and built it and the dedication of the mission control team that has kept it operational for nearly half a century.
Voyager-1, positioned over 24 billion km (15 billion miles) away, is so remote that its radio signals require a staggering 22.5 hours to travel back to Earth.
According to NASA, during the coming weeks, the team will relocate and adjust the other affected portions of the FDS software. These include the portions that will start returning science data.
Voyager 2 continues to operate normally. Launched over 46 years ago, the twin Voyager spacecraft are the longest-running and most distant spacecraft in history. Before the start of their interstellar exploration, both probes flew by Saturn and Jupiter, and Voyager 2 flew by Uranus and Neptune.
Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages JPL for NASA.
Featured Video Of The Day
Elon Musk's Big Bet On Donald Trump, Pledges $45 Million A Month To Elect Him
NASA Shares Breathtaking Image Of Neptune's South Pole Why Sunita Williams Named Starliner Spacecraft 'Calypso' For Space Mission Earth Receives Laser Message From 140 Million Miles Away In Deep Space Trainee IAS Officer Puja Khedkar Called Cops Home, Spoke For 2 Hours "Demand Of Every Patriotic Indian Is...": Rahul Gandhi On Doda Terror Attack What Trump Rally Shooter Did On Last Day Of His Life All-Party Meet On July 21 Ahead Of Parliament Session, Trinamool To Skip Samantha Looks Graceful As Ever In An Ethnic Dress Costing Nearly 2 Lakhs Woman Missing After Husband's Death, Family Thinks She Died On Funeral Pyre Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.