Lhe Voyager 1 probe, a pioneer of interstellar exploration launched 47 years ago, is today nearly 24 billion kilometers from Earth. Since October, a series of malfunctions have disrupted the transmissions of this historic probe, reports CNN Science. One of its two radio transmitters used for decades, called X-Band, stopped transmitting during the month of October 2024.
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The other transmitter, called S-Band, uses a different frequency and has not been used since 1981 due to its weak signal. “The S-band signal is too weak for long-term use,” explains mission manager Bruce Wagoner. On October 22, engineers sent a command to the probe to verify that the S-band emergency transmitter, urgently reactivated, was still working.
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A response was confirmed two days later. But this solution, although temporarily useful, is fragile: “ So far, the team has not been able to use it to access telemetry [qui permet le transfert d’informations à propos de l’état et le statut de la sonde] “, says Bruce Wagoner. It is therefore impossible, for the moment, to obtain complete information on the status of the probe via this channel. NASA must therefore use cunning to maintain this vital link with the probe located beyond the heliosphere, the magnetic bubble of the Sun.
ALSO READ SpaceX’s feat, a “huge slap in the face” for EuropeansIn addition to reactivating the S-band transmitter, the team restarted old thrusters to keep Voyager 1’s antenna pointed toward Earth. NASA even resolved a computer bug that had interrupted the collection of scientific data for several months. Although fragile, this ingenious system allows Voyager 1 to continue its exploration, transmitting valuable data about interstellar space.
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