The iconic Voyager spacecraft are approaching their 50th anniversary, having ventured far beyond Pluto and into interstellar space. They currently hold the distinction of being the most distant human-made objects in existence. However, after nearly five decades of extraordinary achievements, their power reserves are dwindling, prompting mission controllers to make adjustments to extend their operational life. Recently, NASA shared that it has deactivated another scientific instrument on Voyager 2 to conserve energy.
The directive to disable Voyager 2’s plasma science instrument was issued on September 26. At this vast distance, it took 19 hours for the command to travel from Earth to the spacecraft, followed by another 19 hours for the acknowledgment of the command’s execution to return to Earth. According to NASA, the operation was executed successfully.
As noted by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, “Mission engineers consistently monitor any adjustments made to the operations of the 47-year-old spacecraft to prevent unintended consequences.” They confirmed that the shutdown command was carried out without any issues, and the probe continues to function normally.
Over the years, several of Voyager 2’s instruments have already been powered down, especially those deemed unnecessary after the spacecraft completed its initial mission to explore the outer planets during the 1980s. Although the plasma science instrument was vital for examining the boundary between the sun’s influence and interstellar space, it will now be turned off. One significant finding from this instrument was the discovery of a specific boundary beyond which solar winds cease to exist.
Despite the interstellar void being mostly empty, it still has elements that warrant investigation. In 2021, Voyager 1 detected a subtle background sound attributable to interstellar gas, primarily composed of hydrogen and helium, resembling a gentle rain falling through space.
While Voyager 2 will no longer utilize its plasma science instrument, it retains four operational scientific instruments, including those for observing magnetic fields and cosmic rays. The mission is far from over, as NASA estimates that the spacecraft has sufficient power to keep exploring interstellar space with at least one instrument well into the 2030s.
