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NASA has successfully tested the backup thrusters on the Voyager 1 spacecraft, which have been inactive for 37 years. Voyager 1 was launched into space in 1977 to study the boundaries of our solar system, and it still communicates with NASA’s Deep Space Network to send data and receive routine commands. However, since 2014, scientists have noticed that its primary systems for moving forward are declining. Therefore, NASA decided to turn on the micro thrusters, which had not been used since 1980, to make a small course correction.
The tests have been successful and could extend the Voyager 1’s life by two to three years. Project Manager Suzanne Dodd said in a statement, “With these thrusters, which are still working after 37 years of not being used, we will be able to add two to three years to the life of the Voyager 1 spacecraft.” However, because the spacecraft is so far away from Earth, the team had to wait for 19 hours to find out if the tests were successful.
The Voyager 1 is now the farthest probe we have, and scientists are excited to see what new data it can send back from deep space between our star and the one closest to it. The probe is essential for providing insights into space, and its backup thrusters’ success has paved the way for similar tests to be carried out on Voyager 2, another spacecraft traveling between stars.
NASA’s Voyager program is one of the most successful deep-space missions ever undertaken, and its primary mission was to study Jupiter and Saturn. The two probes, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, were also tasked with studying the boundaries of our solar system, called the heliopause, and the conditions of interstellar space beyond our solar system.
The Voyager probes have sent back invaluable data that has helped scientists understand the outer planets, their moons, and the Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune. They also sent back pictures of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, Saturn’s rings, and Titan, Saturn’s moon. The Voyager program has been instrumental in advancing our knowledge of the solar system and the universe.
Scientists will continue to monitor and communicate with Voyager 1 to see what other scientific discoveries it can make. With the successful test of its backup thrusters, the spacecraft can now travel deeper into space and potentially provide insights into space that were previously unknown.
