Voyager 1 'phones home' after 43 years using 1981 tech across 15 billion miles

NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft, now 47 years old, successfully reestablished communication with Earth on October 24 after a brief period of radio silence. This contact was facilitated through a rarely used radio transmitter, the S-band, which had not been activated since 1981. The spacecraft, currently over 15 billion miles away in interstellar space, experienced a communication interruption starting on October 16, attributed to a shutdown of one of its transmitters.

Understanding the Communication Breakdown
The communication issue arose when the spacecraft's fault protection system activated due to high power usage, shutting down its primary X-band transmitter. This automated system is designed to conserve energy by turning off non-essential functions when necessary. NASA engineers sent commands to the spacecraft on October 16 but were unable to detect any response until October 18. Communication halted entirely by October 19, prompting an investigation by the team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California.

Switching to the S-band Transmitter
Upon investigation, the team discovered that Voyager 1 had switched to the S-band transmitter, which consumes less power but has not been utilized for communication in decades. The S-band operates on a different frequency and transmits signals that are significantly weaker than those from the X-band. After confirming that the S-band was operational with a command on October 22, NASA received a response on October 24.

Caution Moving Forward
NASA engineers are proceeding cautiously as they analyze the cause of the fault protection activation. They are refraining from switching back to the X-band transmitter until they can determine the underlying issue. “Engineers are being cautious because they want to determine whether there are any potential risks to turning on the X-band," stated Bruce Waggoner, Voyager mission assurance manager.

Voyager’s Historical Significance
Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 is the first human-made object to enter interstellar space. It has provided invaluable data, including discoveries of new moons and rings around Jupiter and Saturn. Despite the challenges of aging technology, the mission continues to yield significant scientific insights as it ventures further into the cosmos.

The recent communication challenge highlights the ongoing complexities faced by NASA as it manages the aging Voyager mission. The engineering team is now focused on ensuring the spacecraft's continued operation while investigating the recent anomalies.