NASA has successfully restored reliable communication with its interstellar voyager, Voyager 1.
The iconic spacecraft, launched in 1977, is currently exploring the vast region beyond our solar system. Voyager 1 had been sending back garbled engineering data for several months, leaving scientists puzzled. However, a breakthrough has now been achieved, and mission control is once again receiving clear signals.
Intensive investigations revealed the problem: Voyager 1’s Attitude Articulation and Control System (AACS), which keeps the spacecraft’s antenna pointed toward Earth, was relaying telemetry data through a long-defunct onboard computer. This corrupted the information, rendering it incomprehensible. The solution, implemented remotely, was to command the AACS to use the correct onboard computer for data transmission.
Now that clear communication channels are open, Voyager 1 is sending back telemetry about its health and operational status.
Voyager 1, and its twin Voyager 2, embody the relentless spirit of human exploration. Launched over four decades ago, these probes continue to venture into the unknown, expanding our understanding of the cosmos.
