This week, NASA shared that it’s conserving power on Voyager 2 by shutting down one of its instruments. Specifically, the agency turned off the plasma science instrument, which keeps track of charged particle flow, in late September. This decision is part of a strategy to extend the mission’s lifespan, with hopes of keeping it operational into the 2030s.
NASA previously powered down instruments on both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 after their missions exploring gas giants in the 1980s. Currently navigating through interstellar space, Voyager 1’s plasma instrument had become inoperative years ago and was officially decommissioned in 2007.
Despite being over 12.8 billion miles (20.5 billion kilometers) from Earth, Voyager 1 is still operational, utilizing four science instruments to study the area beyond our heliosphere, which is the solar system’s bubble of particles and magnetic fields. NASA mentioned that the probe can maintain at least one functional instrument for research until the 2030s.
AP Photo/NASA, File/AP Photo/NASA, File
The plasma instrument specifically measures plasma flow—charged atoms and their direction. Unfortunately, it has provided limited data in recent years due to its position relative to the plasma’s direction in interstellar space.
Launched in 1977, Voyager 2 is notable for being the sole spacecraft to have visited Uranus and Neptune and is now over 12 billion miles from Earth, while Voyager 1 is even farther at over 15 billion miles.
Navigating the delicate balance between power conservation and scientific data collection, NASA engineers have been cautious about shutting down any instruments, given the unique data the Voyager probes provide from interstellar space.
Engagement with these ancient crafts continues; NASA confirmed the shutdown of the instruments took place on September 26, with signals taking about 19 hours to reach Voyager 2 from Earth. According to the agency, they monitor all operational changes closely to prevent any issues and confirmed the switch-off was successfully executed without complications. The Voyager team continues to oversee the spacecraft’s health and resources, ensuring maximum scientific productivity for the mission.
Reporting by The Associated Press contributed to this article.