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3 clusters · 25 sources · 5 days · First seen · Last updated

NASA Voyager 2 mission extension

Overview

NASA engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory have successfully executed a power-management maneuver, nicknamed the “Big Bang,” to extend the scientific mission of the Voyager 2 spacecraft. Located more than 40 billion kilometers from Earth in interstellar space, the 47-year-old probe relies on radioisotope thermoelectric generators that convert heat from decaying plutonium into electricity. Because these power sources lose approximately four watts of energy annually, the spacecraft's margins have become "razor thin."

To prevent the scheduled shutdown of a third scientific instrument, the team performed a delicate recalibration by simultaneously turning off high-consumption devices—such as certain heaters and a digital tape recorder—and switching on lower-power alternatives. Specifically, engineers disabled a voltage regulator and reconfigured onboard heating systems to preserve enough electricity to keep three scientific instruments—the Cosmic Ray Subsystem, the Magnetometer, and the Plasma Wave Subsystem—operational through 2026.

This successful intervention is expected to grant Voyager 2 at least one additional year of operation. NASA is now testing similar power-saving adjustments on its twin, Voyager 1, which is even farther away and currently operating with only two functional scientific instruments. Both probes, launched in 1977, remain the only human-made objects currently exploring interstellar space, providing unique data on solar wind, the sun's magnetic field, and interstellar radio emissions.

Entities

Voyager 1 · NASA · Jet Propulsion Laboratory · Voyager 2 · Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator

Timeline

  1. 2 days ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 7 sources
    NASA extends Voyager 2 mission lifespan via power-saving maneuver

    NASA engineers have extended Voyager 2's mission through a

  2. 5 days ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 12 sources
    NASA Voyager 2 extends mission via 'Big Bang' power maneuver

    NASA engineers successfully used a

  3. 7 days ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 7 sources
    NASA Extends Voyager 2 Science Mission by Over a Year

    NASA’s JPL engineers saved power on Voyager 2, extending its three remaining instruments for at least another year and planning similar work for Voyager 1.

Sources

abc17news.com · clarksvilleonline.com · climate.nasa.gov · digitalnewsreport.com · fortunegreece.com · generation-nt.com · goodnewsnetwork.org · it-boltwise.de · kesq.com · krdo.com · ktvz.com · larepublica.pe · lazybudgetchef.com · m.olhardigital.uol.com.br · memesita.com · news.co.za · notiulti.com · nouvelles-du-monde.com · passioneastronomia.it · pk.mashable.com · sciencepost.fr · spidersweb.pl · time.news · web.nouvelobs.com · worldcatholicnews.com

This summary has been updated 3 times: see revision history