Voyager 2 signal restored after NASA ‘screams’ into space
By ForGeeks After nearly 46 years in space, NASA lost contact with Voyager 2 last month, leading to weeks of silence from the interstellar explorer. Now, after a last-ditch effort that was essentially «a cry to space», NASA has re-established contact with «Voyager 2».
After nearly 46 years in space, NASA has now reestablished contact with Voyager 2.
If you haven’t been following the adventures of NASA’s interstellar probes, while «Voyager 1» is doing fine, communications with «Voyager 2» were lost a few weeks ago when the probe received the wrong command, causing its antenna to shift two degrees away from Earth, cutting off communication with the spacecraft from Mission Control.
At the time, the probe received an incorrect command that caused its antenna to drift two degrees away from Earth, cutting off communication with the spacecraft from Mission Control.
NASA has since resumed communication with the probe, but for a while it was thought that it would have to wait until October for communication to be restored, when the probe would automatically check its configuration and signal back to Earth. Fortunately, NASA has restored the «Voyager 2» signal, and now all seems to be well with the probe.
Since its launch from Earth nearly 46 years ago «Voyager 2» has traveled more than 20 billion kilometers away from our planet, even leaving the heliosphere and venturing into interstellar space. Like its counterpart «Voyager 1», the probe is equipped with a «Golden Record» that serves as both a time capsule and a gesture of welcome should the probe encounter intelligent alien life.
The probe is equipped with a «Golden Record» that serves as both a time capsule and a gesture of welcome should the probe encounter intelligent alien life.
Despite the fact that «Voyager 2» is so far away from home and already very old, it continues to transmit information and data about interstellar space to Earth. Now that communication with «Voyager 2» has been restored, NASA can ensure that the link remains strong and the space probe will continue to operate for many years to come.
Now that the connection to «Voyager 2» has been restored, NASA can ensure that the link remains strong and the space probe will continue to operate for years to come.
Perhaps in the future, probes like this will help us learn more about our solar system, such as how granite ended up on the moon and why Uranus is lying on its side.
Such probes could help us learn more about our solar system, such as how granite ended up on the moon and why Uranus lies on its side.
