The 45-year-old Voyager 2 spacecraft from NASA finds new life at the frontier of the solar system.
Mission engineers have created a new strategy to extend the instrument life of the Voyager 2 spacecraft, which is currently flying through interstellar space.
The Voyager proof test model can be seen at JPL in this picture taken in 1976. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)
Since its launch in 1977, the Voyager 2 spacecraft has travelled more than 20 billion kilometres from Earth. According to a new statement from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the science equipment on the spacecraft will be operational for a few more years than originally planned.
In order to keep its instruments operational despite a diminished power source, the ageing Voyager 2 spacecraft has started employing a modest backup power supply. As part of an onboard safety system, this backup power was reserved. The spacecraft can now keep running its science instruments until 2026, whereas it was supposed to shut them down this year.
The only spacecraft that have ever functioned outside of the heliosphere, which is thought to be the edge of our solar system, are Voyager 2 and Voyager 1. The heliosphere is a solar-generated bubble of particles and magnetic fields. Scientists are learning more about the heliosphere and how it shields our planet from interstellar energetic particles and other radiation thanks to the Voyager probe.
The project scientist for Voyager, Linda Spilker, stated in a press release that “the science data that the Voyagers are returning gets more valuable the farther from the Sun they go. Therefore, we are definitely interested in keeping as many science instruments operating for as long as possible.”
Voyager 2 power-saving methods
The radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs), often known as “nuclear batteries,” power both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. The heat produced as plutonium decays is converted into power by these nuclear batteries.
Since the plutonium is constantly decaying, as time passes the generator’s output gets progressively lower. The mission’s science goals have not yet been hindered by the mission’s diminishing power supply, claims JPL. This is due to engineers turning off heaters and other unnecessary systems in order to keep the probes operating.
On Voyager 2, however, they have run out of such power-conservation options. It’s interesting to note that one of Voyager 1’s science equipment failed early in the voyage, allowing for nearly another year of operation before scientists had to think about new power-saving techniques like those used with Voyager 2.
