Voyager 1 restores communication after 48-hour signal loss

NASA's Voyager 1 has regained communication with Earth following a 48-hour period where the spacecraft was unable to be detected by the Deep Space Network. The signal loss occurred on Oct. 18 and 19, but the spacecraft's signal reappeared on Oct. 20, and the team has maintained contact since that time.

Investigation into signal loss

Engineers are currently investigating the cause of the communication outage. According to NASA, the team has determined that one group of thrusters went offline and their backups turned on. This automatic response, known as fault protection, is programmed to occur if the spacecraft computers detect an issue with active thrusters, directing the spacecraft into a safe, stable configuration and pausing normal operations.

"This is the first time we’ve seen the spacecraft do something like this, but we are also at a point in the mission where we have to expect the unexpected," said Kareem Badaruddin, Voyager mission manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Power conservation efforts

To manage the spacecraft's diminishing power supply, NASA engineers completed an energy-saving effort nicknamed the "Big Bang" in September. This involved turning off three devices on Voyager 1 and substituting them with three lower-power alternatives. This effort was performed approximately six weeks after a similar swap was completed on Voyager 2.

Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 are powered by radioisotope thermoelectric generators, which convert heat from decaying plutonium into electricity. The probes lose approximately 4 watts of power each year as the plutonium supply depletes. According to NASA, the "Big Bang" swaps were required to occur simultaneously to ensure heat is properly distributed and the spacecraft remains warm enough to operate in space.

Upcoming milestone

Voyager 1 is currently traveling at 38,000 mph through interstellar space. On Nov. 18, the spacecraft is expected to reach a milestone of 16.09 billion miles from Earth, which is the equivalent of one light-day.

At this distance, radio waves take 24 hours to reach the probe and another 24 hours for a return message to reach Earth. "If you want to say 'hello' to Voyager, you send your message and then you go home and you wait two days before you finally get a response," said Suzanne Dodd, Voyager project manager at JPL.

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Sources

• science.nasa.gov: NASA’s Voyager 1 Conserves Power, Resolves Brief Communications Pause - NASA Science
• mashable.com: NASA's Voyager 1 mysteriously lost touch with Earth | Mashable

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