How NASA Is Keeping The Historic Voyager 2 Alive In Deep Space

NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft was launched in 1977 and has been travelling through deep space for nearly five decades. Located billions of miles away from Earth in interstellar space, the probe is running critically low on power. However, NASA found a brilliant way to squeeze out extra energy, keeping all of its scientific instruments operating longer than anticipated.

"Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory have successfully freed up power on Voyager 2, extending how long the spacecraft can continue to do science," NASA wrote in an official statement.

Voyager 2 relies on radioisotope thermoelectric generators, which convert heat from decaying plutonium into electricity. Because plutonium constantly decays, the spacecraft loses roughly 4 watts of power every year.

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The space agency revealed that, nicknamed the 'Big Bang', the effort involved simultaneously turning off certain powered devices and substituting them with lower-power alternatives while ensuring the spacecraft remains warm enough to operate.

To adapt, engineers previously shut down non-essential systems like onboard heaters and cameras. Eventually, the probe reached a point where NASA faced a tough choice: turn off one of its five remaining science tools or run out of usable electricity.

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Instead of shutting down an instrument, NASA engineers looked for hidden power reserves. "The spacecraft power margins have grown razor thin, requiring the team to conserve energy by shutting off non-essential devices and systems," NASA officials said in a statement.

"Without the Big Bang activity, the mission would have had to turn off another instrument on Voyager 2 before the end of 2026. The savings should provide power to keep its three instruments operating for at least an extra year."

"The mission team plans to perform the same swap on Voyager 1, which is farther from Earth than Voyager 2, and to complete the effort in the coming months."