For five months, the Voyager 1 probe has been sending unreadable data to Earth, causing perplexity among scientists. After careful investigation, NASA engineers finally identified the source of the problem.
Voyager 1: scrambled signals from interstellar space
The probe Voyager 1launched in 1977, continues to emit regular signals as it explores the far reaches of our solar system. However, since November 2023, the data sent by the probe has become unreadable, and NASA teams have found themselves unable to analyze the information transmitted. After months of questions, engineers began to diagnose the anomaly by interacting directly with the probe.
In March, engineers sent a diagnostic command called « poke » to obtain a report from flight data system (FDS) of the probe, which organizes and prepares Voyager 1 data before transmitting it to Earth. This report discovered that the FDS memory had been corrupted.
A faulty chip responsible for data corruption
After analysis, the NASA team was able to identify the origin of the problem: an FDS chip, essential for storing part of the data, seemed to have stopped working. According to engineers, this failure could have two possible explanations: either the chip was damaged by an energetic particle from space, or it simply aged after 46 years of intensive service.
Although the exact origin remains unclear, NASA is confident that a solution can be found to bypass the faulty chip and allow Voyager 1 to resume sending readable data from interstellar space. However, it could take several months before engineers can implement this solution.
A legendary probe at the frontiers of the unknown
Voyager 1 was launched in 1977 to explore the planets Jupiter et Saturnwhich it flew over in 1979 and 1980 respectively. After completing its primary missions, the probe continued its journey and finally left the heliosphere, the protective magnetic bubble of our solar system, to enter interstellar space in 2012. It is today the most distant spacecraft from Earth, currently being more than 24 billion kilometers of our planet.
At this distance, each signal emitted by Voyager 1 takes approximately 22.5 hours to reach Earth, further complicating communications and diagnostics. Despite these challenges, the probe continues to send valuable information about conditions in interstellar space, contributing to our understanding of the limits of our solar system.
A hope of restoring Voyager 1 transmissions
Despite the chip failure, NASA engineers are actively working to implement a solution that would allow the FDS to function without going through the corrupted chip. The objective is to restore transmissions of readable data from the probe, thus ensuring that Voyager 1 can continue its historic mission to explore interstellar space.
This delicate operation demonstrates NASA's commitment to maximizing the lifespan of its probes, even in the face of technological constraints. Voyager 1, with its 46 years of service, alone embodies the spirit of discovery and resilience that drives space exploration missions.
Voyager 1's contribution to science and our understanding of the universe
The discoveries made by Voyager 1 since its entry into interstellar space offer a unique perspective on limits of solar influence and the nature of cosmic radiation. By collecting data on particles, magnetic fields and other parameters of this unknown environment, the probe helps to enrich our knowledge of the confines of our solar system and the transition to deep space.
If engineers can work around the FDS failure, Voyager 1 could continue to provide crucial information for several more years, helping scientists answer fundamental questions about our position in the universe and the conditions of interstellar space .
By extending the Voyager 1 mission, NASA is perpetuating the legacy of this iconic probe, reminding us that space exploration is as much a quest for discovery as it is about surpassing technical limits.
Related News :