NASA has confirmed that after communications with Voyager 1 ceased in late October, the spacecraft regained its voice and resumed normal operations.
Voyager unexpectedly turned off its main radio transmitter, known as the X-band, before turning on its transmitter on the much weaker S-band in October.
The interstellar spacecraft is currently located about 15.4 billion miles from Earth and the S-band has not been used in more than 40 years.
Communication between NASA and Voyager 1 was intermittent at times, and shifting to the lower band prevented the Voyager mission team from downloading scientific data and information about the spacecraft’s status.
NASA reconnects with the Interstellar VOYAGER 1 spacecraft using technology that has not been used for decades
NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft is depicted in this concept art traveling through interstellar space, or interstellar space, which it entered in 2012. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)
Earlier this month, the team was able to reactivate the X-band transmitter and resume data collection from the four science operating instruments aboard Voyager 1.
Now that it’s possible to collect data and resume communications, engineers are finishing some remaining tasks to return Voyager 1 to the state it was in before the problem arose. One task is to reset the system that synchronizes the three computers aboard Voyager 1.
The S-band was activated by the spacecraft’s fault protection system when engineers activated a heater on Voyager 1. The fault protection system determined that the probe did not have enough power and automatically turned off systems that were not necessary to keep the spacecraft flying in order to continue Providing energy for vital systems.
Voyager 1 detects ‘hum’ while in interstellar space: Report
NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft, shown in this illustration, has been exploring our solar system since 1977, along with its twin, Voyager 2. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)
But in the process, the probes turned off all non-essential systems except the science instruments, NASA said, turning off the X-band and activating the S-band, which uses less power.
Voyager 1 has not used the S-band to communicate with Earth since 1981.
NASA publishes never-before-seen images of the “Ravioli” moon orbiting Saturn
This illustration provided by NASA depicts the spacecraft farthest from Earth, Voyager 1. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California announced this week that Voyager 1’s four science instruments are back in operation after a technical problem. (NASA via AP, file)
Voyager 1’s journey began in 1977, when the spacecraft and its twin, Voyager 2, set out on a tour of the solar system’s gas giant planets.
After showing dazzling postcard views of Jupiter’s giant red spot and Saturn’s sparkling rings, Voyager 2 jumped to Uranus and Neptune. Meanwhile, Voyager 1 used Saturn as a gravitational slingshot to power itself past Pluto.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
There are 10 science instruments on each spacecraft, and according to NASA, four of them are currently being used to study particles, plasma and magnetic fields in interstellar space.