Voyager 1 faced a hiccup last month when it unexpectedly switched to a weaker S-band radio transmitter. This move halted communication of scientific data with Earth.
The issue occurred when the spacecraft’s fault protection system kicked in after engineers activated a heater. This extra pull of power led to the deactivation of the primary transmitter.
NASA engineers managed to reactivate the main X-band transmitter, allowing data collection to resume. They’re also working on resetting systems to their former state.
Voyager 1 operates on dwindling power. Its energy source, decaying plutonium, loses about 4 watts annually. Over the years, engineers have shut off non-essential systems to save power.
