US EditionNASA Working on ‘Big Bang’ Upgrade for Voyager Probes
NASA will test a power-sparing swap on Voyager 2 in May and June, aiming to keep the aging probes operating longer.
- NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineers turned off the Low-energy Charged Particles experiment on Friday to preserve power for the aging Voyager probe, aiming to extend its operations for at least another year.
- Power levels plunged during a routine roll maneuver on February 27, threatening an automatic shutdown that would require a risky recovery process for the craft more than 15 billion miles away.
- NASA is developing The Big Bang, an ambitious energy-saving fix for both Voyagers, which involves swapping out powered devices and replacing them with lower-power alternatives to keep the spacecraft warm.
- Leaving a small motor running on the LECP that consumes just 0.5 watts, NASA hopes to revive the instrument later, though only two of Voyager's original ten instruments remain online.
- Voyager mission manager Kareem Badaruddin stated, "While shutting down a science instrument is not anybody's preference, it is the best option available," as the probe has survived nearly 50 years exploring deep space.
12 Articles
12 Articles
NASA Shuts Down Voyager 1 Instrument as Its Life Force Fades
NASA’s Voyager 1 has survived nearly 50 years and a light-day of travel from Earth — but in the end, there’s no question that a deadly combination of entropy and 1970s technology will eventually spell its doom. With the intrepid little space probe running low on power, engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory made the decision on Friday to shut down one of its key sensors, a sacrifice that they hope will ensure that the rest of the craft wi…
Since 1977 the probe flies through space. Now the energy in the reactor dropped unexpectedly. A risky measure is to extend the lifespan of the Voyager probes.
NASA shuts off 49-year-old sensor on Voyager 1 to keep the probe alive
NASA has deactivated one of the last remaining science instruments aboard Voyager 1, the most distant human-made object ever built, to stretch the probe's dwindling electricity supply and keep it transmitting data from interstellar space. The agency confirmed that controllers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California sent the shutdown command on April 17, targeting the Low-energy Charged Particles experiment, known as the LECP, and…
NASA working on ‘Big Bang’ upgrade to keep the Voyagers alive for longer
Tests scheduled for May can't come soon enough after VGER 1 power glitch led to instrument shutdown NASA has revealed it's working on a plan called "The Big Bang" that it hopes will extend the working lives of the Voyager probes. . . .
As the power level of the spacecraft fell unexpectedly after a regular flight manoeuvre, NASA quickly had to switch off another measuring instrument.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources lean Left, 50% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
