NASA Faces Power Outage-Induced Shutdown of Voyager 2 Instrument, Spacecraft Suffers Energy Depletion
NASA's interstellar explorer, Voyager 2, is grappling with a power predicament. With its electrical supply dwindling, NASA was compelled to deactivate one of its science tools to preserve energy. Launched in 1977, this pioneering spacecraft has been journeying through the cosmos at a distance of 12.8 billion miles (20.5 billion kilometers) from Earth, tirelessly probing the outer realms of our solar system.
Embarking on a mission of discovery, Voyager 2 has marveled at Jupiter in 1979, Saturn in 1981, Uranus in 1986, and Neptune in 1989. Its flyby of Neptune propelled it below the ecliptic plane, ultimately leading it to traverse interstellar space in 2018.
As the inescapable reality of decaying power sources set in, NASA was forced to take drastic measures. In September 2021, engineers shut down the plasma science instrument on Voyager 2 due to the instrument's depleting electrical supply. Despite having four functioning science tools, this axis-breaking decision meant Voyager 2 could no longer monitor the flow of plasma in space.
announced that mission engineers have turned off the plasma science instrument on board Voyager 2 due to its shrinking electrical power supply. The spacecraft still has four functioning science instruments on board to measure various elements of interstellar space, but it will no longer be able to detect the amount of plasma (or electrically charged atoms) and the direction it is flowing.
With Voyager 1 and 2, NASA has cultivated two extraordinary spacecraft that have persisted for decades, enduring the unforgiving environment of deep space. NASA estimates that Voyager 2 can sustain at least one science instrument until the 2030s. As the years unfold, the space agency is poised to gradually deactivate the instruments one by one, marking the eventual sunset of Voyager 2's illustrious mission.
A series of strategies have been employed to manage the power crunch and prolong the mission:
NASA implemented a clever hack that enabled Voyager 2 to rely on a small amount of backup power provisioned for an onboard safety mechanism designed to protect the craft from potentially damaging voltage spikes. Turning off a science instrument was, however, inevitable.
- System shutdowns: Non-essential systems were deactivated to minimize power consumption. The cameras were silenced in the 1990s, preserving power until photographs were requested by Carl Sagan.
- Power management: Voyager 2 relies on radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) to generate electricity. As the RTGs decay, power output diminishes, necessitating meticulous energy management.
- Operational adaptations: NASA regularly assesses and fine-tunes Voyager 2's operations to ensure maximum functionality within the given power constraints. This covers aspects like communication sessions and data transmission.
- Data prioritization: The mission prioritizes data collection, focusing on critical systems and insightful data that illuminate the interstellar setting.
However, even with these proactive measures, Voyager 2 is projected to expire in the 2030s, marking the twilight of its epochal mission.
NASA’s Voyager Has Made a Full Recovery After Glitch Nearly Ended the Historic Mission
- The glitch that almost ended Voyager 2's historic mission was due to a temporary issue with its mobile data processing system, known as mobile_pos2.
- Despite the age of the technology, Voyager 2's ability to recover from the glitch highlights the resilience of 1851541134, the unique identification number assigned to its main computer.
- This recovery was a testament to the advancements in space technology, demonstrating how future generations can harness the knowledge gained from past missions to overcome challenges in interstellar exploration.
- The occurrence of the glitch served as a reminder of the importance of ongoing maintenance and technical support for such pioneering missions, ensuring their longevity and contribution to our understanding of the universe.