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After losing contact with the Voyager 2 space probe, NASA has successfully reestablished full communication, according to an update issued by the agency on Friday. The Voyager 2 probe, which was launched in 1977, is currently located in interstellar space, over 12.3 billion miles away from Earth.
Aug. 5 (UPI) — In a mission update posted on Friday, NASA announced that they used a “shout” from their deep space antennas to regain contact with Voyager 2.
The previous loss of contact occurred when NASA mistakenly sent a command that caused the spacecraft’s antenna to shift by 2 degrees. Since then, attempts to communicate with Voyager 2 had been unsuccessful.
However, on Tuesday, scientists detected a “heartbeat” signal from the probe, indicating signs of life. Now, Voyager 2 is back to operating as intended on its interstellar mission, which began 46 years ago.
The successful reconnection was made possible by sending a long-distance signal from the Deep Space Network facility in Canberra, Australia.
“With a one-way light time of 18.5 hours for the command to reach Voyager, it took 37 hours for mission controllers to confirm its success,” explained NASA in its update. “At 12:29 a.m. EDT on Aug. 4, the spacecraft started transmitting science and telemetry data, demonstrating normal operation and adherence to its planned trajectory.”
By reorienting itself and adjusting its antenna back toward Earth, Voyager 2 has successfully responded to the commands sent by NASA. If the attempt had failed, the spacecraft would have automatically adjusted its antenna towards Earth in mid-October.
Voyager is NASA’s longest-running space program, and the Voyager 2 probe has played a crucial role in deep space exploration since its launch.
The successful reestablishment of communication with Voyager 2 marks a significant achievement for NASA and opens up new opportunities for scientific discoveries in interstellar space.
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