NASA receives strange data from the Voyager 1 spacecraft

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Voyager 1, one of two space probes launched in 1977 to explore this corner of our solar system, is still operational. It is currently more than 23 billion kilometers from Earth and regularly transmits new data. Recently, however, the team in charge of the mission noticed a discrepancy: the ship’s telemetry data turned out to be inconsistent.

Launched on September 5, 1977, Voyager 1’s primary mission was to explore the planetary systems of Jupiter and Saturn. These 45 years of good and faithful service have made it possible to make remarkable scientific progress; the data transmitted by sin, in particular, made it possible to observe Jupiter’s rings for the first time, to explain the operation of the famous Great Red Spot and to learn more about Io’s structure in Europe.

The exploration engine also revealed the exact structure of Saturn’s rings, confirming the presence of a dark band (dubbed) jari-jari) is perpendicular to the ring and reveals the presence of an additional ring. In 1980, when it arrived near Titan, sin made it possible to determine the composition of the moon’s atmosphere – and several other smaller moons were also discovered. It may seem incredible that after all these years, the sin instrument is still working. But it could be that Voyager 1 is showing the first signs of exhaustion…

“normal” problem after 45 years journey

Sin seems to be working normally; in any case, it receives and executes orders sent from Earth and otherwise collects and sends data back to the mission team as expected. However, data related to the articulation and posture control system (AACS) are unusual. This system is responsible for controlling sin orientation; he especially has to ensure that the communication antenna is always pointed at Earth. While it still seems to work, the telemetry data sent back is inconsistent.

The signal returned by the probe is not attenuated, indicating that the antenna is still pointing in the right direction. The scientists also note that this deviation does not cause the protection system, which is responsible for switching the engine to “safe mode” with the slightest error. So the team so far don’t know the origin of the problem and don’t know whether it will affect the life of the device or not.

” Such mysteries are normal at this point in Voyager missions. », kata Suzanne Dodd, project manager for Voyager 1 and 2 at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Indeed, as scientists remind, the two probes of the Voyager program far exceed the originally planned operating life (10 years!). In addition, the probe has been in interstellar space since August 2012 and is thus exposed to high levels of cosmic radiation.

The source of the anomaly is the AACS itself or other systems involved in the production and transmission of telemetry data. If a problem is identified, it can be solved by modifying the offensive software or by using rescue equipment. Of course, distance doesn’t make the task any easier: it currently takes 20 hours and 33 minutes for light to travel the more than 23 billion kilometers that separates us from sin. Therefore, scientists had to overcome the 41 hour delay between sending their instructions and receiving an answer…

Three more years of data to exploit

Note that this isn’t the first time Voyager 1 has encountered a technical glitch. In 2014, NASA engineers noticed that the probe’s blades — which are used to maintain their orientation — began to degrade through tiny pulses of a few milliseconds. To avoid collapse, the team decided in 2017 toburn four more propellers… It hasn’t been used for 37 years! And the operation was a success: sin finally got a few extra years of life.

Each Voyager probe generates about 4 watts of electrical power less per year, which limits the number of systems the ship can operate. So, in order to save energy, various instruments have been voluntarily decommissioned over the years. Remote sensing instruments, such as interferometers, infrared radiometers and UV spectrometers, have been discontinued; cosmic rays and low energy particle detectors are still active.

Voyager 1 is the first man-made object explore interstellar space ; it is moving away from the solar system at a rate of about 3.6 AU per year. Its twin probes have been doing the same since late 2018. They are expected to remain operational until at least 2025, after which they will no longer be able to collect and transmit data due to power and fuel shortages. To earth. Until then, scientists will try to make the most of the data the two devices collect.

In about 40,000 years, Voyager 1 will drive less than 1.6 light year of Gliese 445, a star in the constellation Giraffe. At the same time, Voyager 2 will pass about 1.7 light years from the star Ross 248 and in about 296,000 years (!) it will pass 4.3 light years. English Sirius, the brightest star in the sky next to the Sun.

Source: NASA

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