- NASA has successfully implemented a new plan to extend the life of the Voyager 2 probe launched in 1977
- The trick relies on a backup function that stabilizes voltages in the probe’s systems to power certain scientific instruments until 2029
- The Voyager 2 probe continues to return valuable scientific data about the interstellar medium despite the extreme conditions it faces
Launched on August 20, 1977, Voyager 2 has been floating in space for 46 years! Several billion kilometers from Earth, the probe is officially outside the sun’s zone of influence. However, his power generator, an RTG based on radioactive isotopes, begins to fail dangerously. Voyager missions weren’t supposed to last that long.
Initially, the goal was to take advantage of a rare alignment to explore many planets in the solar system, including Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and a few moons. After this first mission, the two probes continued their route towards the outside of our solar system. Their antennas remain pointed towards the Earth and they continue to transmit scientific data daily.
Voyager 2 probe could survive until 2029
The Voyager Mission Control Center regularly implements measures to preserve their power consumption and attempts to extend the mission as much as possible. Many instruments are now extinct. Prior to the aforementioned update, Voyager 2 probably wouldn’t have had enough power to keep it running past 2026.
Voyager 2 is the second probe to cross the heliopause, the boundary between the solar system and interstellar space. Since 2018, she has been exploring this unknown region and sending valuable data to Earth as part of the VIM (Voyager Interstellar Mission). This information is of great importance to scientists, as it allows them to learn more about the interstellar medium and its characteristics.
Voyager 2’s power source is based on three radioisotope thermoelectric generators, which use the heat given off by the radioactive decay of plutonium-238. According to NASA, these generators produce about 4 watts less each year, limiting the number systems that can remain active.
To save power, NASA has phased out several instruments on Voyager 2. However, this is not enough to ensure the probe’s long-term survival. In an attempt to extend its adventure a little further, NASA has put in place a power plan that should give the probe a few more years of measurements.
This new power plan is based on a backup feature that has never been used before. This is a mechanism to stabilize the voltages in the probe systems, to avoid problems if there is a large variation. This special circuit has a small reserve of energy that can be used to power certain scientific instruments.
It turns out that NASA already implemented this power plan on Voyager 2 in April 2023. The space agency was able to confirm that everything is working as expected. Thanks to this trick, NASA can keep four scientific instruments running: the Cosmic Ray Detector (CRS), the Low Energy Plasma Spectrometer (LECP), the Magnetometer (MAG) and the Plasma Detector (PLS) – all essential to measure the properties of the interstellar medium.
The new power plan should allow Voyager 2 to continue its mission until at least 2029, according to NASA. This represents a gain of three years compared to previous forecasts. Building on this success, NASA should also apply this plan to Voyager 1, which is in a similar state. Thus, the two probes will be able to continue one of the most successful space missions in history.
