Introduction to Voyager 1 and 2

Nearly 50 years after their initial launch, the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft continue to travel through interstellar space, despite encountering several setbacks over the years. In an effort to extend their mission duration, NASA has announced that the twin Voyager spacecraft are undergoing changes to reduce some of their functionalities due to a diminishing power supply.

Recent Developments and Power Conservation

On February 25, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) deactivated Voyager 1’s cosmic ray subsystem experiment. Furthermore, on March 25, the low-energy charged particle instrument on Voyager 2 is scheduled to be shut down. According to Suzanne Dodd, Voyager project manager at the JPL, "The Voyagers have been deep space rock stars since launch, and we want to keep it that way as long as possible. However, electrical power is running low. If we don’t turn off an instrument on each Voyager now, they would probably have only a few more months of power before we would need to declare end of mission."

Operational Status of the Probes

Each Voyager probe will continue to operate three science instruments, while seven other instruments have been or will be deactivated over time. In October of the previous year, NASA shut down Voyager 2’s plasma science instrument. Both spacecraft have recently experienced technical issues. Voyager 1 resumed normal operation in June after seven months of technical difficulties, including issues with unreadable data. It had faced a similar issue two years prior. In 2023, Voyager 2 experienced a two-week period of lost contact after requiring technical assistance three years earlier.

Continued Value of the Voyager Probes

NASA still places significant value on the Voyager probes. As Linda Spilker, Voyager project scientist at JPL, stated, "Every minute of every day, the Voyagers explore a region where no spacecraft has gone before. That also means every day could be our last. But that day could also bring another interstellar revelation. So, we’re pulling out all the stops, doing what we can to make sure Voyagers 1 and 2 continue their trailblazing for the maximum time possible." The goal is to keep them operational, possibly until they reach their 50th anniversary in 2027.

Outlook and Anniversary

A more cynical perspective on NASA’s efforts to keep the Voyager probes operational is that the agency would like to see them functional for their 50th anniversary in 2027, which seems like a challenging goal despite the agency’s best efforts.