Engineers initiated a "poke" to the Voyager 1 probe and received a potentially promising response, signaling progress in addressing a communication glitch persisting for five months in the aging spacecraft.
Launched in 1977, Voyager 1, along with its counterpart Voyager 2, is traversing unknown cosmic territories in the outer realms of the solar system.
Despite Voyager 1 maintaining a consistent radio signal connection with its Earth-based mission control team, the signal has been void of usable data since November, indicating an issue with one of the spacecraft's onboard computers.
A recent signal from the spacecraft suggests that NASA's mission team may be making headway in comprehending Voyager 1's situation. Voyager 1 currently holds the record as the farthest spacecraft from Earth, approximately 15 billion miles away.
Meanwhile, Voyager 2 has journeyed over 12.6 billion miles from Earth. Both probes are exploring interstellar space, a feat no other spacecraft has achieved, beyond the heliosphere, the sun's magnetic field and particle envelope extending well beyond Pluto's orbit.
Initially slated for a five-year mission, the Voyager probes stand as the longest-serving spacecraft in history. Their prolonged operations have yielded additional insights into our solar system and beyond, surpassing their primary objective of exploring Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune decades ago.
However, as they age, both probes encounter challenges.
The mission team first detected communication anomalies with Voyager 1 on November 14, 2023, when the telemetry modulation unit began transmitting a repeating code pattern.
While Voyager 1 can still receive and execute commands from the mission team, the malfunctioning telecommunications unit prevented the transmission of science or engineering data to Earth since November.
Since the discovery, the mission team has attempted various commands to restart the computer system and diagnose the underlying issue.
On March 1, the team issued a "poke" command to Voyager 1, prompting the flight data system to run different software sequences to address potential glitches.
By March 3, the team decoded a signal from the flight data system, indicating a readout of the entire memory. This information will aid in identifying discrepancies and potentially resolving the ongoing issue.
Given Voyager 1's distance, commands take 22.5 hours to reach the spacecraft, with a 45-hour wait for a response. The team is currently analyzing the memory readout, a process initiated on March 7.
This latest issue differs from past glitches, indicating unique challenges as the Voyager probes continue their cosmic exploration. Despite their aging systems, both probes continue to offer invaluable insights into the mysteries of the universe.