Voyager 2 has been sailing through space for 49 years—nearly eight of them beyond the heliopause—while losing roughly four watts of power annually. In July 2026, engineers completed a risky all-at-once systems swap nicknamed the “Big Bang,” buying its three remaining instruments at least one additional year of operation.

Voyager 2 has been sailing through space for 49 years—nearly eight of them beyond the heliopause—while losing roughly four watts of power annually. In July 2026, engineers completed a risky all-at-once systems swap nicknamed the “Big Bang,” buying its three remaining instruments at least one additional year of operation.

NASA's 49-year-old space probe faced a choice: shut down its last working instruments or attempt an unprecedented power-redistribution gamble that could either extend its mission or end it entirely.