Someone really dropped the ball on this one.
In a major blunder, NASA has lost contact with its Voyager 2 probe, which is currently in deep space. The mishap occurred two weeks ago when the spacecraft was given an incorrect command.
This week, NASA finally received a “heartbeat signal” from Voyager 2, thanks to the deep space network antennas spread across Earth. The news provided a much-needed boost to the spirits of the team at NASA, according to project manager Suzanne Dodd.
Now, the flight controllers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California are working to fix the issue. They need to adjust Voyager 2’s antenna, which is off-kilter by 2%, so that it can once again face Earth and receive signals more effectively.
If the attempts to realign the antenna fail, NASA has a backup plan. They have scheduled an automatic spacecraft reset for October, although waiting that long is less than ideal. In the meantime, the team will continue to send commands multiple times in the hopes of restoring communication sooner.
Despite the setback, NASA is maintaining a positive attitude and even injecting some humor into the situation. Social media posts from the interstellar satellite’s twin companion, Voyager 1, are being shared by NASA. In one post on X (formerly Twitter), Voyager 1 stated, “You might have heard… Voyager 2 is taking a break from sending data until October. In the meantime, I’m out here, almost 15 billion miles from Earth and doing fine! – V1.”
This incident has also brought attention to the valuable data collected by Voyager 2 during its flyby of Uranus in the 1980s. Scientists are reevaluating this data at NASA’s California lab as they search for signs of life on the moons of the gas giant. The discovery of water bodies on moons like Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon could provide valuable insights into habitable environments in the outer solar system, according to a recent study.
The Voyager missions, including Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, were originally intended to explore the outer planets and beyond, as documented by Encyclopedia Astronautica. The twin spacecraft were a significant investment, with a budget of $865 million allocated for their development, launch, and operations. An additional $30 million was set aside to support the probes’ interstellar research for at least two years after their final encounter with Neptune.
While efforts are underway to restore contact with Voyager 2, it’s worth noting that Voyager 1 still holds the record for the farthest distance traveled by any human-made spacecraft.
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