For the first time in 45 years since its launch, the Voyager 1 spacecraft has received a software update to fix the issue of sending erroneous data back to Earth control.
According to Space, after months of encountering errors and transmitting junk data to Earth control, NASA’s Voyager 1 has returned to normal operation following an important software patch update.
In May, NASA experts first discovered that the 45-year-old spacecraft was experiencing issues with the AACS system, which keeps the spacecraft’s antenna pointed toward Earth. Although the rest of the probe was functioning normally, the information it transmitted, including status updates and activity logs, was meaningless.
To resolve the issue, engineers opted for the safest approach by sending commands to the spacecraft to use a different computer for communication within the AACS system.
NASA’s Voyager 1 has returned to normal operation after receiving an important software patch. (Image: NASA).
This seemingly simple solution took a significant amount of time, as Voyager 1 is currently traveling 23.5 billion kilometers away from Earth and continues to move further. NASA stated that it takes approximately 21 hours, 48 minutes, and 26 seconds to send or receive data from the spacecraft within its operational range.
After resolving the data issues on Voyager 1, scientists hope it will continue its mission of transmitting data from interstellar space at least until 2025.
Launched in 1977, Voyager primarily collects signals from distant regions of the Solar System for research purposes. After more than 40 years, Voyager has reached interstellar space, farther from Earth than any other artificial object. In 2012 and 2018, Voyager 1 and 2 became the first artificial objects to enter interstellar space.
The computer systems of Voyager 1 and 2 are powered by plutonium, a radioactive element capable of generating nuclear energy through fission reactions. Therefore, despite being launched 45 years ago, the electronic devices on Voyager continue to operate normally.
In 2012 and 2018, Voyager 1 and 2 became the first artificial objects to reach interstellar space. (Image: NASA)
In recent years, as Voyager’s power supply has been dwindling, NASA has deactivated many components of the spacecraft to ensure sufficient energy supply. Nevertheless, with a distance of up to 23.5 billion kilometers from Earth, even the smallest data from Voyager 1 remains of great interest to the scientific community.
It is expected that after 2030, Voyager will no longer be able to communicate with Earth. However, the spacecraft still has a final mission carrying a 12-inch gold-plated disc, which contains information about Earth, including 115 images, greetings in 55 languages, sound effects of wind, rain, human heartbeat, and a 90-minute music compilation.
