NASA’s Thrilling Journey: Voyaging into Eternity with 24-Billion-Km Probe Reaches a Historic Milestone | World News
NASA Engineers Resolve Voyager 1 Thruster Issues in Interstellar Space
Last Updated: Sep 12, 2024 | 4:50 PM IST
NASA announced on Tuesday that it successfully addressed problems with the thrusters of the Voyager 1 probe, which are essential for maintaining its communication with Earth from its current location, approximately 24 billion kilometers away in interstellar space. The thrusters, clogged due to chemical deposits from fuel tubes after 47 years in space, have been switched to a different set by NASA engineers to ensure the spacecraft remains operational.
Launched in 1977 to explore Jupiter and Saturn, Voyager 1 entered interstellar space in August 2012. Despite its aging power source, the probe continues to send back valuable scientific data. Its counterpart, Voyager 2, launched 16 days later and entered interstellar space in 2018. Both spacecraft are the furthest human-made objects from Earth, with Voyager 1’s signals taking over 22 hours to reach our planet.
Engineers have been meticulously managing the probes’ thrusters, aiming to preserve their dwindling nuclear power. The recent clogging issue emerged as chemicals from a rubber diaphragm tainted the fuel tubes, prompting the switch to alternate thrusters.
Voyager 1 has resumed transmitting data from its four scientific instruments, studying plasma waves, magnetic fields, and particles, after a technical glitch in November 2023. Voyager 2, traveling at 34,390 miles per hour, is currently 20 billion kilometers from Earth and heads towards the star Ross 248. Meanwhile, Voyager 1, moving at 38,000 miles per hour, will approach the star AC+79 3888 in about 40,000 years, reiterating the probes’ remarkable journey through the Milky Way.
Both Voyager spacecrafts will continue their eternal voyage, contributing to our understanding of space for as long as their technology permits.
Original Story https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/voyaging-into-eternity-nasa-adjusts-thrusters-of-probe-24-billion-kms-away-124091200698_1.html
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