NASA has announced a strategic decision to conserve energy by switching off specific scientific instruments on the Voyager spacecraft, which have been operating for many years. This decision is aimed at prolonging their missions and ensuring these illustrious crafts continue their journey through space.
Later this month, an instrument on Voyager 2 that measures charged particles and cosmic rays will be deactivated. This follows last week’s shutdown of a similar instrument on Voyager 1, designed for studying cosmic rays. Suzanne Dodd, Voyager project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, explained that these energy-saving measures are essential to extend the operational life of the spacecraft.
The Voyager twins embarked on their incredible journey in 1977 and currently roam the interstellar space, which is the vast expanse between the stars. Over decades, they have provided groundbreaking discovery: Voyager 1 unveiled a thin ring around Jupiter as well as several moons of Saturn, while Voyager 2 uniquely completed flybys of Uranus and Neptune.
Despite the recent shutdowns, each Voyager spacecraft continues to operate with three remaining scientific instruments, enabling them to study the solar system’s protective boundary and beyond. Voyager 1 has traversed over 15 billion miles (approximately 24.14 billion kilometers) from Earth, and Voyager 2 has covered over 13 billion miles (around 20.92 billion kilometers).
