“NASA Finds Energy Hack to Extend Voyager 2 Space Probe’s Life Until 2026”

The life of the Voyager 2 space probe has been postponed by three years because space agency NASA has found a way to tap into a reserve energy source. The space probe can now travel until 2026.

The two probes named Voyager 1 and 2 have crucial scientific information provided during spaceflights that have lasted more than 45 years.

The probes are currently located at over 19 billion kilometers (Voyager 2) and 22 billion kilometers (Voyager 1) from Earth, respectively. That is far outside our solar system in the region between the stars, or interstellar space. Voyager 1 and 2 have come further than any other spacecraft.

“The scientific data that the Voyagers send to Earth becomes more valuable as they get further from the sun,” says Linda Spilker. She works as a scientist on the Voyager project at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. “We are committed to keeping as many Voyager scientific instruments up and running as possible for as long as possible.”

The space probes have been traveling through space for 45 years

^{Photo: NASA/JPL/Insider}

Voyager 1 and 2 started their journey in 1977, one month apart. The probes originally had only a four-year mission to get to the planets Saturn and Jupiter. They both have one “gold record” on board with information about Earth, in case the probes are intercepted by extraterrestrial life.

The probes continued to exceed expectations and NASA has repeatedly extended their mission, first towards the planets Neptune and Uranus and later beyond our solar system (the heliosphere).

^{This diagram shows where Voyager 1 and 2 are relative to the solar system on April 28, 2023. Photo: NASA}

The heliosphere is the space around the sun in which particles and the sun’s magnetic field predominate. The heliosphere is also important to the Earth because it protects us from cosmic rays.

Because the spacecraft are now outside the heliosphere, their instruments can provide unprecedented insights into the properties of the heliosphere, such as its shape and protective role.

^{This illustration shows the positions of Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 beyond the heliosphere, the sun’s protective sphere of influence that extends well beyond Pluto’s orbit. Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech.}

NASA hacked into the ancient probe’s power source

^{Foto: NASA/JPL-CalTech}

The probes get their energy from generators that generate electricity from the decay of plutonium. As this source of energy continues to weaken, NASA has had to turn off non-essential instruments to conserve energy, such as the cameras and heating.

But when Voyager 2’s energy reserves were about to run out, NASA engineers came up with a clever hack that could keep the probe going a little longer.

They found a way to redirect energy normally used for a safety mechanism to deal with fluctuations in the electricity supply.

“These electrical fluctuations can damage the instruments, but we have determined that the risk is small compared to the benefit of keeping the scientific instruments running longer,” said Suzanne Dodd, Voyager project manager at JPL, in a press release.

“We’ve been watching the spacecraft closely for a few weeks and it seems this new approach is working.”

NASA is also considering this approach for Voyager 1. One of Voyager 1’s instruments has failed before, so the spacecraft consumed less energy than Voyager 2.

The decision to turn off Voyager 1 instruments will be made next year, according to the space agency.

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