Post #4405315
2026-08-06 02:28 UTC
The "Big Bang" fix was mentioned in April when NASA shut off the Low-energy Charged Particles experiment (LECP) instrument on Voyager 1 to save power.
With the successful deployment on Voyager 2, the "Big Bang" procedure will next be executed on Voyager 1.
Power from the RTG units has dropped from 470 W to less than 216 W after 49 years in space. The RTGs and instruments also supply heat to maintain operating temperature for the onboard instruments.
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/voyager/2026/04/17/nasa-shuts-off-instrument-on-voyager-1-to-keep-spacecraft-operating/
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Replies (1)
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@AkaSci@fosstodon.org 2026-08-06 02:36
The table below shows the status of the major instruments on the two Voyager spacecraft. To conserve power and to extend the life of the mission, various instruments have been powered off gradually over time. Note that power is also needed for communications and for onboard computer systems. With all this meticulous power management, the 49 year old probes could operate with at least one science instrument into the 2030s. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/voyager/where-are-voyager-1-and-voyager-2-now/ 3/n