NASA’s iconic Voyager 2 space probe has temporarily lost contact with Earth, almost 46 years after its launch. Voyager 2, which embarked on a mission to study the outer planets in 1977, is currently over 12 billion miles away from our planet. However, a recent mishap with the flight controllers led to a wrong command being sent that tilted the antenna of Voyager 2 away from Earth, resulting in a disruption in communication. Despite this setback, NASA remains hopeful that contact will be reestablished soon.
As the second most distant spacecraft to date, Voyager 2 has already entered interstellar space, following in the footsteps of its twin spacecraft Voyager 1. While Voyager 1 continues to function normally and is nearly 15 billion miles away from Earth, Voyager 2, with its aging systems, is reaching the later stages of its mission. To conserve energy, NASA has been reducing the capabilities of Voyager 2, but it is expected to continue transmitting weak radio signals until at least the mid-2020s.
NASA recently admitted on their blog that an antenna error on July 21 caused a “communications pause” for Voyager 2. The slight 2% shift in the spacecraft’s antenna direction was enough to disrupt the communication between Voyager 2 and the Deep Space Network, a global network of ground antennas that facilitates communication for NASA’s deep space missions. While the odds are slim, NASA’s Deep Space Station 43 in Australia’s capital, Canberra, is listening for any stray signals from Voyager 2.
Due to the vast distance, it takes over 18 hours for a response signal from Voyager 2 to reach Earth. Nonetheless, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory remains optimistic that communication will be resumed once the spacecraft’s antenna is realigned with Earth. Voyager 2 is programmed to reset its orientation several times a year to ensure its antenna is pointing towards Earth. The mission’s next reset will occur on October 15, and it is expected to enable communication to be restored, if not already achieved.
The Voyager missions, managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, have been a remarkable success. Launched in 1977, Voyager 2 departed a month earlier than its twin, Voyager 1. Over the years, Voyager 2 became the only spacecraft to visit all four gas giant planets in our solar system—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Its discoveries include detecting previously unknown moons around Uranus and evidence of subsurface oceans on Europa and Enceladus. Voyager 2 is also the only spacecraft to have operated outside the heliosphere, the Sun’s protective bubble of particles and magnetic fields. Meanwhile, Voyager 1 is famous for capturing the iconic image known as the “Pale Blue Dot,” revealing Earth as a tiny speck in the vastness of space.
The Voyager spacecraft, which carry a golden record containing sounds, pictures, and messages from Earth, have surpassed Pluto’s distance from the Sun. Voyager 1 made history in 2012 by entering interstellar space, while Voyager 2 followed suit in 2018. Both spacecraft continue to transmit scientific data through the Deep Space Network. Although Voyager 2 may be aging, NASA remains dedicated to its mission and plans to keep as many of its science instruments operational for as long as possible. With a mission that has lasted over 44 years and counting, Voyager 2 continues to inspire awe and expand our understanding of the universe.
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