NASA desires the Voyagers to age gracefully, so it’s time for a software program patch

The Voyager 2 spacecraft before its launch in 1977.

Enlarge / The Voyager 2 spacecraft earlier than its launch in 1977. (credit score: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Forty-six years in deep area have taken their toll on NASA’s twin Voyager spacecraft. Their antiquated computer systems generally do puzzling issues, their thrusters are carrying out, and their gasoline traces have gotten clogged. Round half of their science devices not return information, and their energy ranges are declining.

Nonetheless, the lean crew of engineers and scientists engaged on the Voyager program at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory are taking steps to eke out each little bit of life from the one two spacecraft flying in interstellar area, the huge quantity of dilute gasoline outdoors the affect of the Solar’s photo voltaic wind.

“These are measures that we’re attempting to take to increase the lifetime of the mission,” stated Suzanne Dodd, Voyager mission supervisor at JPL, in an interview with Ars.

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