NASA achieves breakthrough in communication with Voyager 1 spacecraft
NASA has recently achieved a significant milestone in space exploration by successfully restoring communication with Voyager 1, the farthest spacecraft from Earth. The spacecraft had stopped sending back understandable data last November due to a malfunctioning computer chip, creating challenges for the team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
Flight controllers were able to rearrange the spacecraft’s coding to bypass the faulty chip, leading to positive engineering updates last week. This success has allowed for communication to be reestablished, although the team is still working on restoring transmission of the science data.
Voyager 1, launched in 1977 to study Jupiter and Saturn, has been exploring interstellar space since 2012. Despite being over 15 billion miles away, it takes approximately 22 1/2 hours for a signal to reach the spacecraft. Contact was never completely lost with Voyager 1, as likened to a phone call where one cannot hear the other person on the line.
Meanwhile, Voyager 2, the twin spacecraft of Voyager 1, is also making strides in space exploration and is currently 12.6 billion miles away from Earth. The success in restoring communication with Voyager 1 showcases the dedication and expertise of NASA’s team in pushing the boundaries of space exploration.
“Zombie enthusiast. Subtly charming travel practitioner. Webaholic. Internet expert.”